Founder & artistic director
Guru Smt. Madhuri Kishore
Dancer. Choreographer. Teacher. A creative force carrying Kuchipudi forward through artistry, scholarship, and mentorship.
Recognition
A celebrated artistic legacy.
Shri Guru Award
Recognition of her contribution as a teacher and artistic mentor.
Nandi Varman Award
Conferred by the Government of Cambodia.
Natya Choodamani Award
Honoring artistic excellence and service to classical dance.
Kala Sreshta Award
Presented by SIFA.
Her journey
Rooted in tradition. Alive with imagination.
Guru Smt. Madhuri Kishore is an accomplished Kuchipudi dancer, choreographer, and teacher whose work brings classical discipline together with creative vision.
Trained under Dr. Uma Rama Rao and Guru Pasumarthy Venkateshwara Sharma, she developed a rigorous foundation in technique, rhythm, repertoire, abhinaya, and storytelling. In 2005, she founded the Madhuri Kishore School of Kuchipudi in the Bay Area, where she has since trained more than 200 students.
Her students have performed at the International Spring Dance Festival and the Rotunda Dance Festival in San Francisco, while earning recognition in local and national competitions. Her own choreography is known for narrative depth and for bringing Kuchipudi into conversation with Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, and Odissi.
Choreography work
NavaDurga
A Kuchipudi ballet exploring the nine manifestations of the Divine Feminine.
Gajendra Moksha
A dramatic retelling of Gajendra’s devotion and divine deliverance.
Ardhanareeswara Thatvam
An exploration of the inseparable masculine and feminine energies embodied by Shiva and Shakti.
Muddugare Yashoda
A devotional work celebrating Krishna through the beloved Annamacharya composition.
Alamelu Manga Leelalu
A narrative Kuchipudi work centered on the grace and stories of Goddess Alamelu Manga.
Collaborations with other forms
Oneness – The Blossoming
A dance-theater collaboration created by seven Indian classical dance exponents, uniting Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, and Odissi. Rooted in spring as a symbol of hope, growth, and renewal, the production celebrates diversity, empathy, and our shared humanity. Production details ↗
Notable performances
SFIAF Collaboration
A collaborative Kuchipudi presentation for the San Francisco International Arts Festival.
Cleveland Aradhana Festival
A Kuchipudi presentation at the Cleveland Aradhana Festival.
SF Ethnic / Rotunda Dance Festival
A featured presentation through San Francisco’s Ethnic and Rotunda dance programming.
International Spring Dance Festival, SFO
Students of the school have been featured twice at this San Francisco dance festival.
Featured interviewHear Guru Madhuri on Kuchipudi training, abhinaya, and rangapravesam ↗