Dancer Yamini Krishnamurti is dead

YAMINI KRISHNAMURTI, a renowned figure in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, died at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi on Saturday at the age of 84.

She had been in the ICU for the past seven months due to age-related issues, according to her manager and secretary Ganesh. She is survived by two sisters.

Born on December 20, 1940, in Madanapalli, Andhra Pradesh, Krishnamurti began her dance training at the Kalakshetra School of Dance in Chennai under Rukmini Devi Arundale at the age of five.

She also trained in Kuchipudi and Odissi with Pankaj Charan Das and Kelucharan Mohapatra, and received training in Carnatic vocals and the veena.

Her accolades include the Padma Shri in 1968, Padma Bhushan in 2001, and Padma Vibhushan in 2016, as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1977.

Veteran dancer Rama Vaidyanathan praised Krishnamurti for bringing "power, beauty and glamour" to Bharatanatyam, noting her deep dedication to the dance form.

Tributes have been posted on X, with former Rajya Sabha MP Sonal Mansingh describing Krishnamurti as having "blazed like a meteor in the sky."

The Sangeet Natak Akademi issued a statement mourning Krishnamurti's death and extending condolences to her family.