Life came full circle for UK-based Kuchipudi dancer Arunima Kumar, who returned to the city where she trained to perform. Recently honoured with the British Empire Medal by King Charles III, Arunima and her students presented Samarpanam: A Dance Offering, an evening curated by the Arunima Kumar Dance Company (AKDC), in association with the British Council at the India Habitat Centre.
Embracing cultural rootsThe evening opened with a piece dedicated to the sun, followed by a Lakshmi Stuti. As it progressed, AKDC presented traditional Kuchipudi pieces like the Thillana. A standout segment intertwined Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65, read by Sunit Tandon and musically interpreted by Arina Sharma. The event concluded with a performance weaving together stories from Indian
mythology. “For these students, dance serves as a cultural bridge between India and the UK,” said Arunima Kumar. “Indian dance has music, rhythm, storytelling, and mythology — everything that connects them to India.”
Sunit Tandon and Arunima Kumar performed Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65; Arina Sharma on the instrument
It’s emotional for me to come back and perform in Delhi. For my students, dance serves as a cultural bridge between India and the UK
Arunima Kumar, Kuchipudi dancer based in the UK
Speaking about the evening, British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron said, “It is wonderful to celebrate this vibrant cultural example of the UK-India partnership. This kind of cross-cultural collaboration enables dancers to travel to India to explore their roots.”
British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron and Alison Barrett, Country Director, British Council India
Alison Barrett, Country Director, British Council India, added, “Cultural performances and art exchanges like this help massively in connecting the two cultures. I am super excited to have experienced Kuchipudi. The very first time I experienced Indian dance was in a small room in Varanasi, watching Kathak and absorbing the movements of the dancer. Later, my daughter, at the age of four, learnt Bharatnatyam for three years in Chennai.”
Sudha Murty with Akshata Murty
As a parent, I feel dance has brought out so many qualities and musicality in my daughter (Anoushka). Most importantly, like my mother says, ‘Dance has allowed her to connect with her Indian roots
Akshata Murty, whose daughter was among the performers
AKDC students, including Anoushka Murty Sunak (second from left), performed traditional Kuchipudi dance pieces
Rajeev Shukla, Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao
Shovana Narayan, Geeta Chandran & Prathibha Prahlad
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