Maddali Soundarya Kaushik

Kuchipudi Performer and Co-Artistic Director of ‘Nrutya Kinnera’, Habsiguda branch, Hyderabad, Maddali Soundarya Kaushik, is student and daughter-in-law of Hamsa awardee Guru Dr. Maddali Usha Gayatri. Soundarya took steps into dancing under Bharatanatyam Guru Smt. Sujata Garu, thanks to her grandmother, who enrolled her in the classes, at the age of seven years. Switching gears, she moved to Kuchipudi under Guru Dr. P Rama Devi in 2009. After getting married in 2014, Soundarya began training under Guru Dr. Maddali Usha Gayatri garu and made her Rangapravesham in 2014 at Ravindra Bharathi, Hyderabad.   

Soundarya has been teaching students at a branch of Nrutya Kinnera School in Habsiguda, since 2017 and also trains students for Certificate and Diploma courses in Kuchipudi. The Nrutya Kinnera co-artistic director secured her Kuchipudi Certificate and Diploma with distinction in 2012 and 2015 respectively from PS Telugu Open University. She recently secured Post Graduation in Kuchipudi (Masters in Performing arts M.P.A) from PSTU University, Hyderabad. 

The dancer passed her SSC from ST. Ann’s High School in 2004, Intermediate from Kasturba Gandhi Junior College, Marredpally in 2006, B. Com Computers from Kasturba Degree College affiliated to OU in 2009, and also holds PGDM / MBA in FINANCE from BBCIT (Bankatlal Badruka College of IT HYD, Affiliated to AIMA, Delhi), in 2011.

Though dancing on stage for school and cultural functions since 1999, Soundarya achieved a Guinness World Record Certificate, when on December 26, 2010, she participated and performed ‘Thillana in Hindolana Raagam’ in the Maha Brinda Natyam that was held as a part of the 2nd International Kuchipudi Dance Convention. This young dancer had the opportunity of enacting as Lord Vishnu in the ballet ‘Ksheera Sagara Madanam – Ashta Lakshmi Vaibhavam’ choreographed by Dr. P. Rama Devi, who also played the role of Goddess Lakshmi on the prestigious stage of Nada Neerajanam (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Tirumala) on May 5, 2011. She was a regular performer as student of Sri Sai Nataraja Academy of Kuchipudi dance under Dr. P Rama Devi garu.

For Nrutya Kinnera, Soundarya first performed on June 17, 2014 followed by her Rangapravesham on August 2, 2014, where she performed on few discreet choreographies like ‘Saadhinchene – Pancharatnam’ & ‘Merugavantidi Alimelumanga – an Annamachaarya Keerthana’ and few traditional Kuchipudi items of Parama Guru ‘Bharata Kala Prapoorna Vedantham Jaganadha Sarma’s ‘Tarangam – Neelameghasareera’ & ‘Bhamakalapam’.

The Nrutya Kinnera co-artistic director again performed on the stage of ‘Naada Neerajanam – Tirupati’ on August 17, 2014 on the occasion of their 5^th annual anniversary celebrations and Krishna Ashtami. She played Krishna’s father in the ballet “Yasoda Krishna”.  She has been essaying the role of many characters in many ballets and has adapted herself to the demands and needs of the ballet. In July 2019, she grabbed the opportunity of playing Ganga in a production based on Dr. C. Narayana Reddy’s original script of – “Gangavataranam”. She also played Godavari Devi, during Godavari Pushkaralu, when a documentary was made and screened on National television on July 25, 2019.

After the imposition of first lockdown in the country since March 25, 2020, Soundarya has kept her creativity alive by performing online. The first one was in May 2020 for an Artist Collaboration produced by Elevenpointtwo Digital Media the Video was aired on YouTube with 20,000 views until date. The last being on Valentine’s Day this year.