Yamini Reddy blends tradition and innovation to build a thriving Kuchipudi legacy in Hyderabad

Long before Natya Tarangini Hyderabad became a familiar name in the city’s cultural circles, it began quite simply — with a young dancer starting a new chapter in a new city, carrying with her the training and traditions she had grown up with. That dancer was three-time national awardee, Yamini Reddy. Eighteen years on, the institute has quietly evolved into a steady home for Kuchipudi, shaped by her commitment to teaching the art with sincerity and care.

Rooted in the legacy of her gurus and parents — Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee Raja and Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy — Yamini has spent these years building a space where students learn not only technique, but also the discipline and sensitivity that classical dance demands.

Yamini Reddy explores tradition, innovation, and is building a steady Kuchipudi community

Yamini’s introduction to dance was almost predestined. She fondly recalls beginning at the age of three, saying, “I started dancing very young because dance was already in the family. My first stage performance was a small little gig between my parents’ shows, and that is where my journey began.” This early exposure, she says, cemented her love for the art form, though education remained an important parallel pursuit. “My mother was very particular about academics, so I completed my MBA in Finance. After that, I told her I wanted to take up dancing full-time.”

Marriage brought her to Hyderabad in 2006, and with it the desire to establish something meaningful in a new city. She explains, “I had been performing professionally and had taught earlier at my parents’ institute, though not full time. When I moved, I wanted to do something purposeful, and naturally, that was dance.” In 2007, she founded Natya Tarangini Hyderabad with just four students. Growth was slow but steady. “I never advertised the institute — it grew entirely through word-of-mouth,” she notes. Today, over a hundred students train under her annually.

Teaching, for Yamini, is a deeply personal responsibility. “Kuchipudi is an oral art form. It must be passed down intact,” she says, a principle she inherited from her gurus — her parents. Reflecting on the school’s milestone, she adds, “Teaching consistently with the same standard and care for 18 years feels like an achievement. Sometimes the real accomplishment lies in showing up year after year with the same dedication.”

Influenced profoundly by her legendary parents, Yamini acknowledges their imprint on her craft: “They are my gurus. Everything I know — their style, technique, refinement, and the wisdom passed down from their gurus — has shaped me.” Yet she believes evolution is essential. “Art is about making it your own,” she explains. Her recent show, Kuchipudi Ki Shaam Hindustani Ke Naam, exemplifies this spirit. “Kuchipudi is usually performed in Telugu or Sanskrit verses, but I chose only Hindi classical songs. That was my way of bringing my creativity to the art form.”

Marking the academy’s 18th celebration, she revisited the evolving interplay of tradition and reinvention that has guided its journey. “Each year we showcase the talent of our students because they are the future of the art form,” she says. Among this year’s repertoire was My Heart is a Temple, choreographed by her father, followed by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal’s Dhanashree Tillana, performed by senior students, alongside the iconic Kuchipudi plate dance.

Watching her students interpret timeless compositions brings Yamini immense joy. “This art form is not easy to learn; it takes years,” she says. “Many of my students have trained with me for 10 or 15 years. Classical dance is like an education — it has theory, practicals, and years of training before it becomes part of your body.” Observing them perform the choreography created by her parents fills her with pride. “It tells me their hard work and my teaching have found the right balance.”

Natya Tarangini Hyderabad has also flourished as a community. Yet, cultivating a cultural institution in Hyderabad presents challenges. “Hyderabad has individual interest in art, but there isn’t much patronage or consistent support,” she observes. “Unlike Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru, where something is always happening, here the options are limited.” She adds that the arts survive on patronage: “Historically, kings supported the arts. Art and business don’t mix easily, so without support, sustaining cultural spaces becomes difficult.”

(Story by Tejal Sinha)