Arunima Kumar is a well known Indian Kuchipudi dancer. She is known for being a versatile artist. She has sharpened her dancing skills under the guidance of maestros like Padma Bhushan Smt Swapna Sundari, Padmashri Guru JayaRama Rao and Vanasree Rao. She is the recipient of various prestigious awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi"s Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar. This award is given to those who have demonstrated exceptional talent in the fields of music, dance and drama.
Early Life of Arunima Kumar
She was born on 1st July 1978 in New Delhi. Arunima started learning Kuchipudi at the age of 7. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from St. Stephen"s College. Then she pursued M. Sc. in Finance and Accounting from the London School of Economics. The Kuchipudi Dance Academy officially launched her in 1995 where she performed her Rangapravesham at the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
Career of Arunima Kumar
She acted in the ballet Amrapali when she was only 9. Later, she learned this dance form from Padmashree Guru JayaRama Rao and Vanasree Rao. She was launched by the Kuchipudi Dance Academy in 1995. The occasion was held at the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi where she performed her Rangapravesham. From then on Arunima went on to give several national and international performances at various prestigious cultural festivals and venues in over 15 countries. She has performed in venues like Rashtrapati Bhawan (Delhi), Sydney Opera House, Canberra Festival, Nehru Center in London, Tagore Center in Berlin, Asian Arts Festival in Manila, Kuchipudi Convention in USA, Hyderabad Arts Festival and Kuchipudi Festival just to name a few.
She has also appeared in a number of radio and television programs including Yog Yatra on Star News, music videos Euphoria, advertisements and short films, Documentary on New Delhi. She was seen in a cameo in Prakash Jha directed film Rajneeti.
Apart from her career as an artist, she also worked as a teacher. Her impressive academic background gave her the opportunity to teach at the LSE summer school in 2002. She is also into pistol shooting and has earned several medals in State and National Championships.
Notable Performances of Arunima Kumar
Her famous performances include; at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Sydney Opera House, Canberra Festival, Expo 2000 in Hannover and Lisbon, Nehru Center in London, Tagore Centre in Berlin, Asian Arts Festival in Manila, Kuchipudi Convention in USA in 2008, Hyderabad Arts Festival, Kuchipudi Festival etc. She has also performed in several ballets like the, Chitrangada Ballet, where she played the role of Chitrangada; Nala Damayanti, where she played the role of Damayanti. She has also performed in the Indian Cultural Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in KL Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Achievements of Arunima Kumar
Following are some of the key achievements of Arunima Kumar:
•Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi.
•Sahitya Kala Parishad Scholarship for Dance.
•Established Category Artist by the ICCR.
•Performed with over 400 dancers to break the Guinness book of World Records in Cupertino, California, 2008.
•She features in the London School of Economics Newsletter for her outstanding performance at the Nehru Centre at London.
Recently Britain"s Queen Elizabeth II had an unplanned lesson in Indian dance mudras, when the 90-year-old queen met celebrated dancer and choreographer Arunima Kumar at Buckingham Palace. She is building her own arts foundation to promote arts among the youth, conceptualize and execute projects to endorse peace and harmony across small towns and villages.
Personal life of Arunima Kumar
Arunima Kumar is also a keen Pistol shooter and has won several medals in State and National Championships, including a Gold Medal in National Championship in 1999. She was also, the Captain of the Rifle Shooting Club in her college and received College Colours for her outstanding performance in Shooting. She is also the receiver of the Government of India Sports Talent Search Scholarship (1991-1992). Arunima Kumar is married to Manav Gupta.
