Sobha Naidu (1956 – 14 October 2020) was an Indian

Kuchipudi ''Kuchipudi'' ( ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit ...

dancer, teacher, and choreographer. A disciple of the celebrated Kuchipudi maestro Vempati Chinna Satyam, she became one of the foremost practitioners of the art form. Known for her role as

Satyabhama Satyabhama (IAST'': Satyabhāmā)'' , also known as Satrajiti, is a Hindu goddess and the third queen consort of the Hindu god Krishna. Satyabhama is described as an incarnation of Bhumi, an aspect of Lakshmi. She is the goddess and the per ...

in traditional dance dramas, she was the principal of the Srinivasa Kuchipudi Art Academy in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

. Over the course of her career, Sobha Naidu trained thousands of students and choreographed numerous dance-dramas. In recognition of her significant contributions to classical dance, Sobha Naidu was awarded the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

by the

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in 2001 and the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

in 1991.

Early life

Sobha Naidu was born in 1956 in

Anakapalle Anakapalli (, ) is a suburb of Visakhapatnam city, located within the jurisdiction of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. It contains India's second largest jaggery market. History The town was ruled by the Kalinga (histo ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

, India. Her father, K. V. Naidu, initially opposed her pursuit of dance, wanting her to become a doctor. However, her mother, Sarojini Devi, supported her passion for the art form. Sobha began her dance training under P. L. Reddy in Rajahmundry before advancing under the renowned Kuchipudi guru Vempati Chinna Satyam in

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

(now Chennai). She later earned a degree from Queen Mary's College in Chennai.

Career

Sobha Naidu quickly gained recognition as an exceptional student under Vempati Chinna Satyam, and her debut performance ( arangetram) marked the beginning of a successful career. Despite initial hesitation from her father, the success of her arangetram led her to continue performing after returning to Hyderabad from Chennai. Sobha became known for her portrayal of key characters in Kuchipudi dance, including

, Padmavathi, and the protagonist in

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

's ''Chandalika''. Her performances set a high standard in Kuchipudi, earning her widespread acclaim. Although she received several film offers early in her career, including a blank cheque from producer

B. Nagi Reddy Bommireddy Nagi Reddi (2 December 1912 – 25 February 2004) was an Indian film producer primarily associated with Telugu cinema, along with notable contributions to Tamil cinema, Tamil and Hindi cinema, Hindi films. He co-founded Vijaya Vauhi ...

, Sobha chose to remain dedicated to classical dance. She also declined offers to learn

Bharatanatyam ''Bharatanatyam'' is a Indian classical dance form that came from Tamil Nadu, India. It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jainism.< ...

from prominent gurus like Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai, feeling that even a lifetime was not enough to master Kuchipudi. Sobha's talent was evident from an early age, and she played lead roles in several of her guru's dance-dramas. Her performances were highly regarded both in India and internationally. She represented India at cultural events in countries such as the

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Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

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, and

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. Additionally, she also led cultural delegations to the

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, and

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on behalf of the Indian government. She founded the Srinivasa Kuchipudi Art Academy in Hyderabad in 1980 and served as its principal for 40 years, grooming over 1,500 dancers from India and abroad, many of whom have continued her legacy in Kuchipudi. During her tenure, she choreographed over 80 solo performances and 15 ballets.

Personal life

Sobha Naidu was related to the eminent Carnatic violinist

Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu (8 November 1893 – 25 November 1964) was an Indian violinist in the Carnatic classical tradition. Known for his refined bowing technique and expressive playing, Naidu was one of the most celebrated violinists of the ...

. She died on 14 October 2020 in Hyderabad at the age of 64. Sobha is survived by her husband, Arjun Rao, a retired IAS officer, and her daughter, Sai Sivaranjani.

Legacy

Naidu's contributions to the field of Kuchipudi have left an indelible mark on Indian classical dance. She is remembered for her ability to combine technical precision with expressive storytelling, making her performances highly acclaimed both in India and abroad. Her commitment to training the next generation of dancers ensures that her legacy continues.

Awards and recognition

Throughout her illustrious career, Sobha Naidu received numerous awards for her contributions to dance: *

(2001) * Nrutya Choodamani (1982) *

(1991) * Nritya Kala Siromani (1996) * NTR National Award (1998) * Hamsa Award from the

Government of Andhra Pradesh The Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as GoAP, is the Administrative division, state government and the administrative body responsible for the governance of the States of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati is the capital ...

References

External links

Information about Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi Dancer in Sydney
{{DEFAULTSORT:Naidu, Sobha Indian female classical dancers 2020 deaths Kuchipudi exponents 1956 births Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Recipients of the Kala Ratna Indian women choreographers Indian choreographers People from Visakhapatnam district Dancers from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century Indian dancers 20th-century Indian women artists Women artists from Andhra Pradesh Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award