KUCHIPUDI EXPONENT

MEENU THAKUR

Meenu Thakur is one of the leading Kuchipudi dance exponents. Meenu Thakur was inducted into dance from childhood, she learnt Kathak for five years before she decided to take up the serious study of “Kuchipudi” the traditional dance style of Andhra Pradesh.With initial training by renowned guru Padma Bhushan Swapnasundari and  Natyacharya Pasumurthy Sitaramaiya, Dance has become an integral part of Meenu’s life. With grooming by Padmashri  Guru Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao, Meenu has blossomed into a  fine exponent of  Kuchipudi dance.

Meenu has flair and grace for an efflorescent dance style like Kuchipudi. Her style represents a combination of the feature of “Purusha Sampradaya” (Original male dance tradition) of  Kuchipudi and its “Anuroopa” (Transformation of the male dance style into female interpretation). She has excellent command over technique and Abhinaya. Dedication and sincerity has been the salient qualities of this gifted danseuse. She is the prominent face of the younger generation, having performed in various national and international fora with aplomb and refinement, she has carved a niche for herself.

Endowed with grace and charm, a mobile visage and attractive stage presence, she is an amalgamation of the grace of Kuchipudi dance style and the intricacies of Kathak dance style.

Meenu has been actively performing for the last 21 years as a Kuchipudi Artiste and has conducted workshops in New Delhi, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. She is also the Director/Choreographer (Classical Dance) for NDMC workshops for the last thirteen years. She is an established empanelled artist of Indian Council for Cultural Relations and performed all over the world through cultural exchanges and is also a ‘A’ Graded artist of Doordarshan. She has also performed and given interviews on television (DD National, DD Bharti and JIA News). She is empanelled with SPIC MACAY.  She is one of the few danseuses actively performing Kuchipudi classical style in Delhi/NCR

Performances and accolades

Khajuraho Festival

Kal Ki Kalakar Festival

Natyanjali Festival

Konark Festival

Horizon (ICCR) Delhi & Lucknow

Sidhender Jyanti Samaroh (HYDERABAD)

Pt. Bhatt Smriti Samaroh (JAIPUR)

Kalakshetra, Chennai  (TAMILNADU)

Mahabalipuram Festival (TAMILNADU)

Sur Singar Samsad (MUMBAI)

NIMAAD FESTIVAL (M.P)

TYAGARAJA FESTIVAL

DELHI INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL( DELHI)

CLASSICAL DANCE & MUSIC FESTIVAL( GOA)

IITF (New Delhi)

Neemrana Foundation (Neemrana)

Performance in foreign countries through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and other private sponsors

Bahrain, U.K, Brazil, Yugoslavia, South Africa, Re-Union, Zambia, Mauritius, China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Philippines, Bhutan, Malaysia, El-Salvador and Panama.

LATEST PERFORMANCES

1. Meenu performed with Padma Vibushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh in three countries.
2. Neemrana Foundation, Neemrana.
3. IITF, New Delhi
4. Epicentre, Gurgaon

Awards 

Awarded by Sur Shringar Samsad Title – “SHINGAR MANI”

Awarded The Gold Medal for propogation of Kuchipudi by Aryabhatta Society

Scholarship in Kuchipudi from Department of Culture, Ministry of HRD.

Junior Fellowship from Department of Culture, Ministry of HRD.

Special achievements

Performed at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in 2007 in the presence of Hon’ble President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

SURAMYA

A Society for promotion of Art, Culture and Indian Dance called “Suramya” is successfully conducting workshops for young learners of Classical Dance for the last thirteen years in New Delhi and the Society has conducted workshops in all parts of NCR. The Society has conducted classes in Delhi and Gurgaon in the past few years and at present, is conducting classes in Kuchipudi in New Delhi. Former President Shri. R. Venkatraman was the Patron-in-Chief of the Society and the Society at present is helmed by high-ranking officials and art lovers.

Meenu Thakur’s disciples, the students of SURAMYA have recently performed in the Delhi Youth Festival organized by the Govt. of Delhi; Asian Gas Summit, New Delhi; India-Asean Commemorative Summit, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi; Epicentre, Gurgaon; ISCKON Noida; IITF New Delhi.

Some comments by eminent critics

A dancer to watch-Leela Venkatraman (THE HINDU)

Combining Kuchipudi with Yoga, Meenu mesmerizes all by her distinct dance form-Rumjhum Gupta (THE TIMES OF INDIA)

Meenu is far truer to her art than to fantasies that everyone has about Lord Krishna…Imagine portraying Krishna from childhood to old age-Deepika Vij (EVENING NEWS)

Meenu displayed a commendable stage presence and remarkable footwork through her recital-Kayess (INDIAN EXPRESS)

The highlight of Meenu’s performance was the scintillating nritta. An Explosion of applause greated the Balagopala Taranga executed on the rim of a brass plate-Vasantha Iyer (NATIONAL HERALD)

Meenu marked her style with fluid, graceful movements coupled with a pleasant smile on an expressive face-Priti Verma (THE TRIBUNE)

Poetry frozen in action-Reporter (TIMES OF INDIA)

Meenu danced with joyous abandon unmindful of the danger below (on a sharp-edged copper plage)-Subbudu (THE STATESMAN)

Thakur’s footwork displayed speed and precision as she matched the mridangam beat for beat-Punam Sehgal (CHANDIGARH NEWSLINE)

An aesthetic conquest of space and time with her dancing feet-N.K.Mudgal (THE HINDUSTAN TIMES)

This Rajput girl is dominating Rao territory! Meenu has a dash of understated sauciness that is a piquant characteristic of Kuchipudi-Ashish Khokar (THE TIMES OF INDIA)

Meenu’s sense of rhythm and angsanchalan is a strong point that shone through her recital-Shanta Sarabjeet Singh (THE HINDUSTAN TIMES)

The saga of a dancer who has carved out a name for herself at a very young age. She has a touch of Midas as for success-Pooja Jain (STAR ACHIEVER)

Meenu Thakur’s choreography Nayika was a depiction of feminity in eight amorious stages. She has grace, dynamism and charm-Utpal Banerjee (THE PIONEER)

The dancer is brave to present a recital almost entirely abhinaya-based without the razzle-dazzle of nritta. With confident bearing and contained exuberance, Meenu projected rare maturity-Leela Venkatraman (THE HINDU)

With her excellent command over techniques, she combined the original male dance form of Kuchipudi with Anooroopa in which the male dance style is interpreted in the female form-Pradip Kumar Das (THE HINDU)