YaminiReddy
A flag bearer of an indomitable legacy.— THREE-TIME NATIONAL AWARDEE
HER STORY
Born to the legendary performers and Gurus Padma Bhushans Drs. Raja and Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy, she is a flag bearer of the legacy of the indomitable Kuchipudi masters. Training from a very young age, Yamini is a testament to the fruits of dedication, learning, and expert tutelage. She began her career as a young star, stepping into the spotlight at the age of 3.
Since then, she has been traversing stages across the globe. She is the Founder and Director of Natya Tarangini Hyderabad, a school established in 2007 dedicated to teaching and training young individuals in the art of Kuchipudi.
GLOBAL STAGES
She was the first dancer ever to perform at the prestigious Wigmore Hall, London in 2011. She also had the honour of performing as part of a tour of Russia and East Europe, where she had the opportunity to perform for the SCO Summit and the First Lady of Slovenia.
Yamini has been awarded the Yuva Ratna Award, the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by Sangeet Natak Akademi (2007), the Pride of Telangana Award (2019), and the Golden Key to the City of Dublin — presented by the Mayor himself after watching her Kuchipudi performance live.
CRITICS SPEAK
Voices from the Front Row
·"She is just made for dance — a complete performer."
·"She unleashes energy reminding all those who have seen Raja's similar way of performing. She enters the stage with a majestic gait and engages the audience's attention from the word go."
·"In equipoise and being able to hold most challenging one-legged stances, and in rhythmic grasp, Kuchipudi dancer Yamini Reddy stands high."
·"The sparkling Kuchipudi by Yamini Reddy (she dances like the Eveready Bunny — non-stop energy!) were like dark chocolate treats."
·"Yamini Reddy brings to life the story of Shiva and Parvati at this magical Kuchipudi recital."
·"Danseuse Yamini Reddy seeks to take Kuchipudi to the next level."
·"She is just made for dance — a complete performer."
·"She unleashes energy reminding all those who have seen Raja's similar way of performing. She enters the stage with a majestic gait and engages the audience's attention from the word go."
·"In equipoise and being able to hold most challenging one-legged stances, and in rhythmic grasp, Kuchipudi dancer Yamini Reddy stands high."
·"The sparkling Kuchipudi by Yamini Reddy (she dances like the Eveready Bunny — non-stop energy!) were like dark chocolate treats."
·"Yamini Reddy brings to life the story of Shiva and Parvati at this magical Kuchipudi recital."
·"Danseuse Yamini Reddy seeks to take Kuchipudi to the next level."
KUCHIPUDI
Kuchipudi derives its name from the village of Kuchelapuram now known as Kuchipudi Village in Andhra Pradesh, India, where it grew largely as a product of bhakti movement beginning in the seventh century A.D. As a classical form of dance, drama and music, Kuchipudi enjoys a unique place among the Indian classical dance idioms.
It is a combination of Nattuvamela (Temple dances) and Natyamela (theatre forms) which gives it a unique flavour. Kuchipudi combines speech, mime and pure dance.
THE ART FORM
Kuchipudi is ebullient, scintillating, and yet has the capacity to be intensely lyrical. The dance involves extensive stage movements and exacting footwork, wherein the underlying drama is mimed by expressive gestures of hand (mudras), eye and face movements.
Its musical repertoire is based in Carnatic Music. While most traditional performances seek to narrate a tale, predominantly from the Hindu mythology, the length and breadth of Kuchipudi gives it natural scope to explore modern themes and ideas.
THE TRADITION
The Kuchipudi dancer is a multiple person on stage and this multiplicity is achieved by the swift change of mime which depends more on the combination of naturalism of the dramatic content and symbolism of the poetic intensity of feeling of an episode.
Like any other dance form in India, Kuchipudi draws its sustenance from the principles enunciated in Bharata's Natya Sastra, the Sanskrit textbook for Indian dance and drama. The earlier themes of Kuchipudi were based on the legends of Shiva, performed both by men and women.
The resurgent spirit of the later period brought about a revival of Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh, giving rise to the softer romantic elements of Vaishnavism. It then fell on Siddhendra Yogi (1350-1450 AD) to formulate a syllabus and discipline for Kuchipudi dance.
INDIA'S FIRST FAMILY OF DANCE
About two decades back, legendary Kuchipudi dancing couple Raja and Radha Reddy created history by becoming the first couple to receive the Padmashree and the Padmabhushan awards individually and simultaneously for bringing 'Kuchipudi Dance' — the pride of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — onto the cultural map of the world.
But their journey is not alone. In their efforts to propagate this art form, they have been joined by Kaushalya Reddy, who is the driving force behind Natya Tarangini Institute, Delhi, and their two daughters Yamini and Bhavana Reddy, who are now young stars on the Kuchipudi firmament.
Today they stand out as the only family in India which is completely dedicated to dance. Raja and Radha Reddy are famous for their togetherness and perfect unison. Joined by Kaushalya, Yamini and Bhavana, who are carrying on the 'parampara' or tradition of the Kuchipudi family, they bring to life a bigger picture of Kuchipudi encompassing its finest nuances while infusing it with fresh energy.
The Reddy family is rarely matched in its presentation. Together they have traveled the world over and are continually striving to maintain Kuchipudi's position on the cultural map of the world.