The Temple Dance Studio: How 22-year-old dancer uses her skills to raise awareness about heritage

Hyderabad: Himansee Katragadda is a renowned Kuchipudi artist and the visionary founder of 'The Temple Dance Studio’.

With a deep passion for cultural heritage and an unwavering commitment to preserving it, he has made significant contributions to the dance world.

Starting at the age of 6, Himansee has over 16 years of experience in the field. She has garnered recognition and acclaim for her exceptional contributions across the world, including her ability to paint a lion on the floor while dancing.

A Great Idea: The Temple Dance Studio

Himansee started the 'Temple Dance Studio' to bring back the beauty of old temples and show our heritage. Through this initiative, she mixes dance with history to teach people about forgotten places. She wants to bring back the way people used to learn in temples a long time ago.

By combining dance and history, Himansee's performances shed light on these overlooked treasures. Her vision is to revive the ancient education system that originated in temples, enriching younger generations with this invaluable knowledge.

"When I saw temples in a dilapidated state, with alcohol bottles and trash everywhere, I was disturbed. It looked like a dumping yard, not a temple. So I started The Temple Dance, an infotainment initiative where we perform on temple premises and then follow it up with talks by locals and prominent people about the importance of temples. This has garnered good views and brought awareness among people. Many NRIs have come forward and donated good funds, which we directly transfer to temples," says the 22-year-old.

The Warangal-based dancer firmly believes that blending entertainment with education is more effective than just teaching. It captures people's interest and resonates with them, making a greater impact.

Background and Achievements

Daughter of K. Srinivas Rao and Srilaxmi, Himansee has dedicated herself to the art of Kuchipudi. Reflecting on her artistic journey, Himansee says, "My roots in the arts run deep. My grandmother was a veena player, and my mother had a passion for art. The rich cultural tapestry surrounding me kindled a natural affinity for dance and my heritage."

Guided by her Guru B. Sudheer Rao Garu, she has exhibited her mastery on various platforms. Notably, she presented a captivating performance on Astavidha Nayika Vilasam titled ‘Anthar Unmesha Manasi’ at Ravindra Bharathi.

Himansee has won numerous awards including the prestigious National Youth Awardee from India's Central Government and the esteemed Balaratna Award from Telangana state government. She has also been honored with titles like Gopi Krishna, Garuda, Natya Mayuri, and Natya Sundari Awardee.

Her excellence led her to be recognized as a Grade ‘B’ artist by Doordarshan Kendra. She imparts her expertise as a Kuchipudi Dance Faculty at SRM University, Chennai, and Andhra Pradesh.

She's also acted in movies like Nazarana, Navela Kinnari, NTR Kathanayakudu, Mahanayakudu, and Suryaasthamayam.

The Good Samaritan

Himansee doesn't just dance on stage. She teaches children with disabilities how to dance, showing that everyone can enjoy dancing.

After heavy rains and flooding, many places in Warangal got damaged. Himansee decided to help tribal people in Eturnagaram whose homes and lives were ruined.

"I composed the 'Vande Mataram' with a few classical music beats. I have all the rights to the song. I choreographed it and performed it in multiple states of the USA. So for anyone interested in dance, I conducted a workshop for 2 days. We charged a registration fee, and with those funds, we are donating to the tribal families in Etturnagaram who have lost everything during the floods,” Himansee says,

Filmmaking

Along with performance, Himansee is equally interested in filmmaking. She films The Temple Dance Studio. She enjoys the technical side of filmmaking and says, "If not a dancer, I would be a filmmaker."