| Usha Srinivasan | |
| Birth Name: | Usharani S |
| Birth Date: | 1966 7, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Parents: | P. Srinivasan, S. Raajyalaxmi |
| Nationality: | Indian |
| Occupation: | Classical dancer, TV artist, teacher |
| Years Active: | 2000–present |
| Known For: | Kuchipudi |
Usha Srinivasan (born 16 July 1962), more commonly known as Usha, is an Indian film classical dancer specialising in kuchipudi.[1] She was born in a Tamil family. Her father, P. Srinivasan, is a Veda pandit.
Srinivasan is from Hyderabad, Telangana. She was trained under the kuchipudi dance masters Pasumarthi Sheshubabu, Bhagavatula Sethuram, Uma Ramarao, Chinta Aadinarayana Sharma and Vedantam Radhe Sharma. She was inspired in kuchipudi dance by the legendary Kuchipudi dancers Shobha Naidu and Raja and Radha Reddy. Her mother is also a classical dancer specialised in bharatanatyam.
She did an MA in kuchipudi dance through Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad. She emerged as an independent performer and choreographer in her twenties and runs a dance school named Sree Raja Rajeswari Arts Academy in Tirupathi.[2] She also works as a kuchipudi lecturer at Tirumal Tirupathi Devasthanam. In 2005, she received a doctorate in Kangundi Kuppam Veedhi Natakam - Kuchipudi Bhagavatham-Tunanathmaka Pariseelana.
Srinivasan is an accomplished kuchipudi dancer.[3] She started performing at a young age. Her poised ability to hold difficult balancing poses along with her finely honed sense of rhythm can easily dazzle audiences. In 2006. she performed in the USA organized and conducted by Raaja Raajeswari Arts Academy of Hyderabad.[4]
| Place | Year | Organisers | Item | Nature | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SaharSa | 1987 | Inter State NIC | Award Category | ||
| Cuddapah | 1987 | Campaign Programme | Kuchipudi | Awarded Best Dancer | |
| Etah (U.P.) | 1991 | NIC | Kuchipudi | Awarded Best Dancer | |
| 1993 | NIC AP | Kuchipudi | Certificate Award | ||
| Badrachalam | 1998 | Sri RSD | Kuchipudi | Government programme | |
| Sreekalahasthi | 1999 | Mahashivarathri | Award for Best Dancer | ||
| United States | 2006 | Raaja Raajeswari Arts Academy | Various | Best performer | |
| AP Bhavan, New Delhi | 2010 | Govt. of AP | Kuchipudi | Certificate award |