Kuchipudi Resurrected My Life, Says Krishna Sindhuja

Kuchipudi dancer, Carnatic vocalist, keyboard player and founder of Nrityanmaya, Sai Krishna Sindhuja Kanamarlapudi, who was recently seen on Parichay Season 2, hosted by Muvva Nritya Raaga Nigamam, says that she learnt about Parichay series through Instagram. Speaking to Natyahasini, Krishna Sindhuja, says performing on Parichay Season 2 was a great experience. “It’s a great place to interact and learn about the different arts and cultures on a single platform,” she says.

Vijayawada born, Krishna Sindhuja grew up in Srisailam, the abode of Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and Bramarambha Devi for 12 years. Later, she moved to Hyderabad and enrolled for B. Sc Stats & Computers with St. Mary’s College, Yousufguda. Krishna Sindhuja learnt Kuchipudi during her childhood, but the desire to make it a career bore fruit after her marriage. “Due to sickness, I was bedridden for three years and had lost the desire to live. It was then that my husband and family rallied around and motivated me to follow my first love Kuchipudi,” she says.

The Kuchipudi dancer could not follow her dreams in her childhood due to financial constraints. With grit and determination, Krishna Sindhuja began learning Kuchipudi dance at Vydehi Nrityalaya under Guru Ashwini Kumari. Speaking passionately about her guru, the Kuchipudi dancer says: “My guru uses dance as a medium of expression to raise cultural awareness in the community. She has the unique talent to bring out the best in all her students,” she says.

Krishna Sindhuja loves performing at various temples and festivals. She says that if she had not learnt Kuchipudi, she would have pursued a career in playing keyboard as it gives her immense happiness and peace. “After my graduation, I got a chance to pursue Carnatic Vocal under guru Praveena garu and keyboard under guru PK Dandi garu,” says the Kuchipudi dancer, who also holds a certificate in Carnatic Vocal from PSTU. The Natya Manjeera awardee, shares that her father is also a singer. “My father is not a professional practitioner, but he sings devotional songs and old classics of Sri Ghantasala Master Garu and Slokas,” says the keyboard player.

After etching her name in the Telugu Book of Records on a World Dance Day event, in the year 2021, Krishna Sindhuja performed solo in Sirisiri Muvalu at Ravindra Bharathi, and Mini Shilparamam, Uppal. Bestowed the Ugadi Acharya Puraskara, Krishna Sindhuja believes that performing Kuchipudi dance in temples gives her an opportunity to dedicate herself/ her art form to God as a token of thanks giving and seeking blessing to learn the art for life.

The dancer says that pandemic gave her an opportunity to attend sessions and classes online and learn a lot from her guru, also research and interact with other dancers. The Kuchipudi dancer, who established Nrityanmaya in July 2019, currently trains students in Kuchipudi dance, Carnatic vocal, Instrumental Teaching, and Craft based Learning. Krishna Sindhuja, who loves participating in TV shows, entered a cookery contest in a popular TV show and bagged the first prize. With lot of dreams and aspirations, Krishna Sindhuja hopes to shine like a bright star in Kuchipudi artform.