Arunima Kumar, the celebrated Kuchipudi dancer, has achieved another big milestone in her long and successful career. She has become the first Kuchipudi dancer to be awarded the Honorary British Empire Medal (BEM) by King Charles III. For the unversed, the Honorary BEM is the royal accolade given for hands-on service to local communities.
Who is Arunima Kumar?
Arunima Kumar started her dance training at the age of seven and studied with prominent gurus Padmashree Guru JayaRama Rao and Vanashree Rao. She is currently based in the UK.
She has received several honours and awards in her career for her incredible work. This includes the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar for 2008, which was awarded by the President of India. She also received the Delhi State Sahitya Kala Parishad Scholarship for Dance, Shringarmani title, ’A grade artiste’ of National television, among others.
In 2015, she was selected for One Dance UK’s mentoring program. In April 2015, Arnima received the FICCI FLO award. She has also choreographed and performed for all major UK events and venues, including Buckingham Palace, PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Wembley Stadium, where she performed her choreography before 70,000 people and world media and many more.
Apart from Buckingham Palace, she has performed at several international dance venues like Sydney’s Opera House, Cupertino, USA, Guinness World Record, Rio de Janeiro Festival of Arts, Brazil, Canberra Festival, Thailand Cultural Festival, Manila Festival, and Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Receiving Honorary BEM:
After receiving an Honorary BEM, Arunima expressed her gratitude. She told PTI, “It’s an incredible honour to receive the King’s honour and I’m grateful for this international recognition and to all those who believe in my work. For me, this recognition is not just personal but a celebration of Indian classical dance on the world stage. Kuchipudi has been my lifelong companion, a medium of storytelling, healing, and unity.”
Currently, Arunima Kumar is preparing for her next project, ‘Samarpanam – A Dance Offering’, which is a collaboration with the British Council India.
