Chinmayi Mungara
As the Artistic Director here at Chinmayi Nrithyalaya, Chinmayi started learning the Kuchipudi art form from the tender age of 4 from her mother, Smt. Sridevi Mungara, later taking inspiration and learning from her Grand Guru, Padmasree Dr.Sobha Naidu.
She has had the privilege of mentoring over a 150 students towards a successful dance career and has also had the unique honor of performing during dance festivals in the village of Kuchipudi amidst the great exponents of the dance form.
The dance ballets for ‘Naada Neerajanam‘ (telecast live across India), United Nations Biodiversity Conference, International Children’s Film Festival, TANA-2017 have been some of her notable performances. She has won several laurels and accolades including the title of ‘Natya Manjari’ for her lively dance performances. Most recently, she was awarded the Padmasree Dr. Sobha Naidu Yuva Puraskar.
Over the years, Chinmayi has also taken it upon herself to educate others about the beauty, culture and tradition that surround the Kuchipudi art form and has conducted several lecture-demonstrations in various schools and colleges in India and the United States.
With a natural penchant towards dance, an equal level of excellence in Nritta and Nritya, coupled with years of experience as a performing artiste, Chinmayi has emerged as one of the finest Kuchipudi dancers of the next generation. Her innate creativity, graceful movements and communicative expressions have won the admiration of one and all.