Meenu Thakur

Meenu Thakur (born July 1, 1972) is an Indian Kuchipudi dance exponent, Guru and choreographer. She runs an institution ‘SURAMYA’ for teaching Kuchipudi to young learners in New Delhi. Meenu Thakur is also the culture columnist for the monthly current affairs magazine YOUNG INDIA

Born in 1972 at Saharanpur, UP to an advocate Harswroop Thakur and home-maker Shakuntla, the third of five siblings.

Apart from being qualified in Kuchipudi, Meenu learnt Kathak from The Kathak Kendra, Delhi. Meenu has choreographed numerous Kuchipudi programmes and has been actively performing for the last 24 years as a Kuchipudi Artiste.

Meenu is the Founder Director of 'Suramya', an institution of performing arts. She has been enrolled as an established artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and has performed outside India through cultural exchanges. She is also an ‘A’ Graded artist of Doordarshan (India's National television network) and a member of SPIC MACAY (Society for promotion of Indian classical music and culture among youth).

Khajuraho Festival, Kal Ki Kalakar Festival, Natyanjali Festival, Konark Festival, Horizon (ICCR) Delhi & Lucknow, Sidhender Jyanti Samaroh (Hyderabad), Pt. Bhatt Smriti Samaroh (Jaipur), Kalakshetra, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Mahabalipuram Festival (Tamil Nadu), Sur Singar Samsad (Mumbai), Nimaad Festival (M.P), Tyagaraja Festival, Delhi International Arts Festival (Delhi), Classical dance and music festival (Goa), Hampi Mahotsava (Hampi), Modhera Dance Festival (Sun Temple, Mehasana, Gujarat) Taj Mahotsava (Agra)

Bahrain, U.K, Brazil, Serbia, Croatia, South Africa, Re-Union, Zambia, El-Salvador, Panama, Mauritius, Nepal, China, Japan, Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Bhutan, Austria and Hungary.

• Awarded the title of "SHINGAR MANI" by Sur Shringar Samsad
• Recipient of the "NATIONAL NRITYA SHIROMANI" Award for the year 2015
• Awarded the Rashtriya Nirman Puraskar 2015
• Recipient of the Safari South Asian Travel Award 2016 for contribution to culture tourism through dance
• Recipient of the Swami Vivekananda and Sister Margaret Award 2016
• Awarded The Gold Medal for propagation of Kuchipudi by Aryabhatta Society
• Scholarship in Kuchipudi from Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
• Junior Fellowship from Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
• Performed at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in 2007 in the presence of Hon’ble President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
• Choreographed the Kuchipudi performance at the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit hosted by President of India, Pranab Mukherjee
• First danseuse to perform at Tihar Central Jail, the biggest jail complex in South Asia