Shruthi Samanvi receives ‘Vande Bharatam Nritya Utsav’ Award

Vijayawada: Shruthi Samanvi from Vijayawada has brought immense pride to her city by winning the esteemed ‘Vande Bharatam Nritya Utsav’ award from the Union Ministry of Culture in 2023 and by emerging victorious at 37th All-India Universities’ National Youth Festival 2024 Classical Dance competition. Shruthi's journey in dance began under the tutelage of Guru DT Saila Sree and continued with Guru B Sudheer Rao.

She was also trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathak under Guru A Santosh but has now devoted herself entirely to the Kuchipudi dance form. So far she delivered over 500 solo performances, captivating audiences across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, and Gujarat, earning accolades from critics and audiences alike.

Speaking to The Hans India, Shruthi shared her perspectives on the evolving landscape of classical dance. “My grandfather, the late Sambasiva Raju was instrumental in nurturing my love for dance. From a young age, I admired the choreography of Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam. Watching recordings of legendary dancers' performances inspired me to pursue dance seriously.

Born to Narasaraju and Swathi, Shruthi received her early college education at Siddhartha College in Vijayawada and is currently pursuing a BBA at KL University.

She excelled in certificate courses in Kuchipudi and has performed on Doordarshan as a Kuchipudi artiste. Her brother is also a talented swimmer. The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, honoured Shruthi with the CCRT scholarship.