Rithika Kambaladinne, currently pursuing B. Tech at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, will be making her Kuchipudi Rangapravesham at Ravindra Bharathi on Saturday October 19. Speaking exclusively to Natyahasini, Rithika Kambaladinne shares that when her guru, G. Ravi Kuchipudi Garu, informed her that she was ready for her Rangapravesham, she felt a mix of emotions. “It was hard to believe at first because I knew how much that moment meant,” she says.
According to Rithika, it was like all the years of practice, dedication, and learning coming together. “I felt grateful to my Guru for guiding me this far, and excited for what was ahead. At the same time, I knew it was a big responsibility, and I had to give my best. It was a proud and emotional moment, knowing I was ready to take this big step in my dance journey,” says the young dancer.
She began learning the ancient art form under Guru G. Ravi Kuchipudi Garu at Kandula Kuchipudi Natyalayam, from 2011. After 13 years of tapsaya, Rithika is ready for her big solo debut. Also, she will be the first student of Guru Ravi Garu to make the debut. Incidentally, Guru Ravi Garu too was bestowed with the ‘High B’ Grade award by the Doordarshan Hyderabad Kendra and successfully as a thanksgiving had a programme in Naadaneerajanam of SVBC.
Rithika mentions that she has been preparing for her Rangapravesham since January 2024, but things got really serious in the last three months. “During this time, I went to classes every day and focused entirely on perfecting my performances,” she says. Born to Sailaja and K. Raghuram Chandra Rao, the young dancer began her dancing steps under the guidance of Smt. Musunoori Indira Garu at the age of four at Musunoori Academy of Dance and Music in 2007. In 2011, she came under the tutelage of Guru G. Ravi Kuchipudi Garu at Kandula Kuchipudi Natyalayam. Her mother encouraged her to learn dance and she is proud to make her parents and Guru proud.
Questioned on whether there were any special pieces for the Rangapravesham, Rithika says: “One of the special pieces I’ll be performing is ‘Krishna Nee Begane Baro’. This song is about Maa Yashoda calling little Krishna to come to her. It beautifully captures the loving bond between a mother and her child, especially how Yashoda cares for Krishna.” The dancer says that the song is in Kannada, which is her mother tongue, so it feels even more personal and close to her heart. “Performing this piece feels like connecting to both my dance and my roots,” admits the dancer.
On how excited is her family, Rithika says that they were overjoyed when they heard she was ready for her Rangapravesham. “They’ve supported me in every step of the way, and knowing that this moment is finally here made them feel proud and excited. Their happiness gives me even more motivation to give my best,” she says with a smile.Over the years, Rithika has performed on numerous prestigious stages across India, giving more than 100 performances in cities like Hyderabad, Delhi, Cuttack, Srisailam, Basara, Guntur, Kurnool, Kerala, Tirumala, and more. Her dedication to Kuchipudi is also reflected in her academic achievements; she completed her certificate course in 2019 and her diploma course in 2023, both from Sri Thyagaraja Govt College of Music and Dance, securing first-class honours.
Rithika’s talent and hard work have earned her several awards, including the Best Dancer Award at the International Dance Festival (2016), the Abhinava Nrutya Bala Award from Babanjali Temple of Fine Arts (2017), the Natyam Award from Way Foundation (2017), Bala Kala Ratna at the Children Dance Olympiad in Guntur (2018), and the Nrutya Kowmudi from Abhinava Nrutya Bharathi in Eluru (2023). She is also recognized as a ‘B-grade’ artist by Prasara Bharathi (Doordarshan Kendra) in 2023 and was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 2012 for her participation in Silicon Andhra Maha Brunda Natyam.
In addition to her dance accomplishments, Rithika is currently pursuing her B. Tech at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology. She completed her schooling and intermediate studies with outstanding academic performance. Beyond academics, she represented her school in basketball tournaments and is also a talented drawing artist.