Alekhya Punjala
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alekhya Punjala | |
|---|---|
_01.jpg) Alekhya Punjala as Rudrama Devi in a Kuchupidi performance | |
| Born | 9 April 1962 |
| Occupations | Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer, Dance teacher and choreographer |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Hamsa Award |
Alekhya Punjala is an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and dance teacher from Telangana. She is an exponent in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam. She has received the Ugadi Vishishtha Award and the Hamsa Award from the Andhra Pradesh government. She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Kuchipudi in 2011. She has also been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
Career
Alekhya Punjala is a Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer from Telangana. She began her dance studies at the age of four while studying in a Montessori school in Hyderabad, under Dayal Sharan, the dance teacher of the school.[4] She said that Dayal intended to teach her Odissi and Kathak, but she became interested in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.[5][6] Later, she trained in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam under Uma Rama Rao, and in abhinaya (acting) under Guru Pashumarthi Krishnamurthy.[1] She has been performing classical dance since her arangetram (first stage performance) in 1977, which was on the occasion of silver jubilee celebrations of the Indian National Theatre.[7][8]
Alekhya holds a bachelor's degree in English literature, psychology, and philosophy; a master's degree in dance (Bharatanatyam) from Osmania University; and a master's degree in ancient Indian history, culture, and archaeology.[9] Alekhya received her PhD for her study of the acting aspect of Kuchipudi dance, with title Kshetrayya Padams and their importance in Abhinaya in Kuchipudi Dance.[9][1] She was a student at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University and later became Professor and Head of the Department of Dance. She then became the university's first woman registrar.[9][1] Later, to focus on teaching and performing, she took voluntary retirement from her position as registrar at the university.[9]
Alekhya is one of the top ranked artist of Doordarshan and also a panel member of Indian Council for Cultural Relations.[10] In 2024, Alekhya Punjala was appointed as the chairperson of Telangana Sangeetha Nataka Academy.[6]
She also runs a dance school called Trishna.[10]