Condoling the death of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi veteran Yamini Krishnamurti, PM Modi said according to India Today, that she left an indelible mark on India’s cultural landscape and inspired generations.
Yamini Krishnamurthy debuted in 1957 in Madras. I must have been very young when I first saw her dance, but I do recall being swept away by the clarity and finesse of her movements. Yamini and her younger sister performed Bharata Natyam (as it was known then) and Kuchipudi solos, while their erudite father gave the introductions. As time progressed Yamini was established as the queen of Bharatanatyam in India. Although she was born in Karnataka, and Tamil by training Yamini chose to relocate to New Delhi. When asked why Delhi? She is said to have replied, ‘Delhi’ really stands for the Sanskrit ‘Dehali’, which means the ‘threshold’. ‘a lamp hung over the threshold illuminates both outer and the inner precincts, making them one household. Yamini Krishnamurti was steeped in Sanskrit aesthetic literature. She was not alone in her strategic relocation. New Delhi had by then become a hub where dancers could meet diplomats and get invited to perform abroad. Given the imbalance of the rates of exchange at the time, performances abroad were more lucrative than local performances and brought with it higher acclaim as one was sent officially as a cultural ambassador of India.
Yamini, with Sonal Mansingh, and several dancers from Delhi came together with other prominent dancers from Delhi, to hold a press conference at the India International Centre, in March 1977. They argued that the cultural institutions of the nation, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi, were quite blind to the needs of dancers. This was reported widely but I am not clear as to the extent that it changed cultural policy. However, it did impress the bureaucrats, that dancers of Delhi were a force to be contended with!i By this time when I saw her dance it was almost militant in bhava, commanding attention and as if daring her audience to catch her out on one rhythmic misstep or fault. And as before her dancing was brilliant.
In January 1984, Yamini Krishnamurthy participated in the East-West Dance Encounter in Bombay. As a participant and consultant for this event, I saw her group choreography there, where she was dancing along with her disciples. Personally, this time I was underwhelmed but the work turned out to be extremely provocative, inciting fervent discussion the following morning about norms, departures and the multiplication of norms!
Yamini Krishnamurthy’s dancing career brought her many highly coveted awards, including the Padma Shree (1968), Padma Bhushan (2001), and Padma Vibhushan (2016), which are among the highest civilian awards of the Republic of India. She was highly respected and a lively contributor to the culture around her. As perhaps the earliest post-Independence soloist dancer to reach such heights in her career, and negotiate her tours, she paved a pathway that is now well-travelled.
Indo-American Arts Council community mourns her loss deeply.
Uttara Asha Coorlawala
Indo-American Arts Council, Erasing Borders Dance Festival Senior Curator
