A soulful Kuchipudi dancer and a teacher, Aruna believes that whatever you do, you should do it with your heart and soul. She thinks that Kuchipudi is a difficult dance form that demands dedication to be successful.

Aruna Rekha Varanasy is a Kuchipudi dance artist. She has been performing this dance form for the past thirty years.

Aruna was born and brought up in Andhra Pradesh. She belongs to a family that never misses following their tradition.

Recollecting her childhood memories, Aruna says that her mother always took them to traditional dance and music programs. That was where she got attracted and inspired to dance.

Talking about her challenges, Aruna says that she knew dancing was not an easy art. Initially, it felt like a workout, but eventually years of practice and her mother and teacher’s support helped her become a successful Kuchipudi dancer.

Sharing about her dance journey, Aruna says that she always wanted to become an engineer but somehow her passion for dancing encouraged her to move forward with dancing as a career.

When asked about her COVID experience, Aruna says that the pandemic time made her realize that she has enough to teach to the young generation. This realization made her start her own dancing institute. Sharing knowledge with today’s generation is a completely different and joyful feeling, she says.

The biggest mistake that Aruna thinks she made was taking a ten year gap from her dancing career after her kids were born. Looking back makes her realize that she could have easily managed her personal life while still focusing on her career.

Giving us an account of her achievements, Aruna says that her biggest achievement was how she managed her time during her diploma exams. Working hard and getting the state first rank feels like the biggest achievement, Aruna says. Another achievement Aruna got was to become the dance instructor for the largest Kuchipudi Dance Lesson for the Guinness Book of World Records.

When asked about her role models, Aruna says that her Guru and her husband are her role models.

Advising the aspirants to the Kuchipudi dance field, Aruna says that learning any art be it a dance form or singing demands time. So, you need to find your calling, give it time, be in it to understand the basics, and grow with your art, Aruna says.

In her free time, she loves to meet people and spend time with her daughter.