Arunima is a Kuchipudi dancer and a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi's ( India's national academy set-up by the Republic of India) prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar for 2008. Currently she lives in London and is working as a HR Consultant at Aricent Group.[3]
Start of career
Arunima started learning Kuchipudi at the age of 7 and had her initial training under Padma Bhushan Smt Swapna Sundari. She is a senior disciple of Padmashree Guru JayaRama Rao and Vanasree Rao and has been performing for over 15 years. As a young girl of 9, Arunima acted in the ballet Amrapali. The Kuchipudi Dance Academy formally launched her in 1995 where she performed her Rangapravesham at the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
From then on Arunima pursued her art and has given several national and international performances at prestigious cultural festivals and venues.[citation needed]
She has also performed in several ballets like the, Chitrangada Ballet, where she played the role of Chitrangada; NalaDamayanti, where she played the role of Damayanti
She is also a keen pistol shooter and has won several medals in State and National Championships and is also the recipient of the Government of India Sports Talent Search Scholarship (1991–1992)...
Film, television and radio broadcasts and appearances
She is keenly interested in dramatics and has acted in a number radio and television programs Yog Yatra on Star News, music videos Euphoria, advertisements and short films Documentary on New Delhi, International film, Microsoft, Globus. She has recently done a cameo in a feature film directed by Prakash Jha – Rajneeti.
Kuchipudi continues to be her abiding passion, which she pursues with relentless devotion. Endowed with "a pair of large eyes, a mobile visage and attractive stage presence". Arunima is a devoted dancer with a promising career ahead.
In an endeavor to share the joy of being closely involved with India's rich cultural heritage, she also worked for SPICMACAY, a voluntary cultural organisation as its Planning and Finance coordinator.
She is building her own arts foundation to promote arts amongst youth, conceptualize and implement projects in the field of outreach – ARTS EXTEND - to promote peace and harmony across small towns and villages.
She was also a speaker at Bridge India's webinar "Cultural diffusion across closed borders: India's Cultural Diplomacy in a lockdown" on Wednesday 1 July.[4]
Kumar was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2025 for services to Indian classical dance and community.[5]
ICCR tour in 2003, Ministry of External Affairs of India, in prestigious venues in Australia, including Canberra Festival, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne, Brisbane.
ICCR tour Fiji, 2003
Arts Festival Thailand, ICCR tour 2003
Arts Festival Malaysia, ICCR tour 2003
International Festival, Indonesia, 2004
Asian Arts Festival, Manila, Philippines, 2007
India Week Celebrations at Nuremberg and Frankfurt, 2005
Tagore International Centre in Berlin in 2005
Nehru Centre in London, 2001, 2005
International Kuchipudi Dance Convention in Cupertino, California in 2008.
Diwali Celebrations in London, Trafalgar Square from TAL dance group Southern Spice 2016
Bloomsbury Festival, London 2016
Notable performances in India
Amrapali ballet, 1987
Rangapravesham at the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi, 1998
Hyderabad Arts Festival
India Habitat Centre, 1998, 1999, 2003
India International Trade Fair 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006
SOPAN festival by Sahitya Kala Parishad
Delhi Tourism Festival at Santushti 2003
Bharat Yatra Festival in lucknow 2001
Shringaramani Festival in Mumbai 2001
Kuchipudi dance festival in Kuchipudi Village
National Choreography Festival at Habitat Centre 2003
Qutab Festival in 2003
Young Dancers Festival at Kolkata sponsored by Sangeet Natak Academy in 2004
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