Yamini Krishnamurthy’s performances were full of energy. | Photo Credit: File Photo
Renowned classical dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy died on August 3 after a prolonged illness. She was 83.
His mortal remains will be kept at his dance school, Nritya Kaustubh in Hauz Khas, Delhi on August 4 for the last rites of his students and fans.
Ms Krishnamurthy is credited with popularising Bharatanatyam in North India, beginning in the 1960s, when she chose Delhi as her home. Not content with that, she attempted to take the dance form to the global stage, and became an internationally popular name, like sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Known for her lively approach, Ms Krishnamurthy’s dance was full of energy.
Yamini Krishnamurthy (1940-2024)
A file photo of dancer Yamini Krishnamurthy with shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan.
Yamini Krishnamurthy, who is proficient in the forms of Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Odissi, practised classical dance since her childhood.
Yamini Krishnamurthy grew up in Chidambaram in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.
This dancer has received the prestigious Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards.
Yamini learned Kachchipudi from great teachers like Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry, Pasumarthi Venu Gopal Sharma, Chinta Krishnamurthy and Vedantam Satyanarayana Sharma.
Yamini Krishnamurthy has always been fascinated by the various postures and sculptures of Nataraja on temple walls.
Yamini lived in New Delhi and ran an institute called Nritya Kaustubh.
In 1957, at the age of 17, Yamini Krishnamurthy gave her first solo performance.
Yamini Krishnamurthy performing Bharatnatyam to aid poor kidney patients organised by Swar Rang.
Pandit Birju Maharaj and Yamini Krishnamurthy at a function in New Delhi on Friday.
Yamini Krishnamurthy is renowned for her graceful stage presence, sculptural posture, and expressive eyes.
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Though he trained under the great gurus of the time, he gave his own touch to the technique without diluting the grammar. His postures, facial expressions and movements were extremely precise. He inspired several generations of dancers to take up the art.
She was born on December 20, 1940 in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh. Her father was a Sanskrit scholar and her grandfather was an Urdu poet. Her training in Bharatanatyam began at a very young age at Kalakshetra in Chennai. After mastering the basics, she learned from eminent gurus like Kanchipuram Elappa Pillai, Kittappa Pillai, Dhandayuthapani Pillai and Mylapore Gowri Ammal.
She also acquired proficiency in Kuchipudi under Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry and Chinta Krishnamurthy. A versatile artist, she learnt Odissi from Pankaj Charan Das and Kelucharan Mohapatra.
Chidambaram days
The dancer gave her first performance in Chennai in 1957. She always spoke about the days when she was five years old and spent time in Chidambaram, and how the city, famous for Nataraja, the god of dance, attracted her to the art.
Her first student and Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan said, “I always felt fortunate to be guided by her as I was in awe of her personality and art. Though she never lost her temper while teaching, we knew what she expected us to do and how it should be done.”
Geeta Chandran, a Bharatanatyam dancer from Delhi, said, “She ruled the dance world for a long time and the high standards she set as a solo artist are difficult to surpass. When it came to prestigious national and global events, she was a consummate dancer. Like MS Subbulakshmi and Ustad Bismillah Khan, she became a cultural ambassador. With her scholarly father, she explored both the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the art. Under her father’s guidance, she collected wonderful material to further her artistic creations. Though her last days were spent in loneliness, she did not lose her love for dance and was always curious to know what was happening in the field. It is a great loss for the dance world, but her life will continue to serve as a valuable lesson.”
People were often struck by his charming presence. “His eyes said it all. There was an aura around him. When you met and spoke to him, you realised he was a born artiste,” says Chennai-based Bharatanatyam dancer Priyadarshini Govind.
