# Prateeksha Kashi

Prateeksha Kashi is an Indian Kuchipudi dancer. Kuchipudi is a classical dance form that was originated from the village of Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh, India. Kashi holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore.

## Early life

Prateeksha Kashi was born in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, into the family of Gubbi Veeranna. She is the daughter of the Kuchipudi dancer Vyjayanthi Kashi and Vijaya Kashi, who is a television and theatre artist. Under the guidance of her mother, she started her dance training at the age of five. At the age of 13, Prateeksha completed the Kuchipudi dance exams.

## Career
### In acting

Prateeksha Kashi portrayed the female lead role in Priyamanasam, a Sanskrit film based on the life of Malayalam poet Unnayi Variyar. She played the lead role "Mohini" in a Kannada serial named Kaadambari Kanaja which was telecasted on Udaya TV. She also played the lead role Akkamahadevi in Hejjegurthugalu. Along with her mother, Vyjayanthi Kashi, she acted in Mathana.
Kashi also appeared in a short film series on social awareness titled Dwar: Door For Transformation. She acted in a Kannada film Prakruthi, which won the National Award for Adaptive Screenplay in 2013 and received the Special Jury Award in the Bangalore International Film Festival 2014.

### Productions

Shambhavi Dance Theatre produced a dance DVD, The Magic of Kuchipudi that features Prateeksha Kashi. The DVD was released by Yamini Krishnamurthy as a part of "Nayika-Excellence Personified," which was organised on the occasion of Woman's Day on 8 March 2014 in Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan, Bangalore. Kuchipudi was the artistic director of the Shambhavi School of Dance and the former chairperson of Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy. Essence of Life is a multimedia production by Dega Deva Kumar Reddy. They tried to spread the teachings of JK, including Kuchipudi. Prateeksha Kashi was chosen to choreograph and present the teachings of JK in this production. She performed "Can We Live Without Problems".
* Prateeksha Kashi in the dance group Essence of Life
* Prateeksha Kashi did the choreography for Jiddu Krishnamurti's concept "Can We Live Without Problems" as a part of Essence of Life.

## Notable performances

Prateeksha Kashi has performed in numerous Indian dance festivals, including:
* Antarjatika Nrutya Sangeet Samaroha 2012, Cuttack
* Kalabharathi National Young Dance Fest 2013, Thrissur, Kerala
* World Dance Day 2013 in Alliance Francaise, Bangalore, and Chennai
* Summer Festival 2013, Coonor, Ooty, Tamil Nadu
* Kuchipudi and Bharathanatyam duet performance with Rukmini Vijayakumar
* Natya Vriksha Young Dancers Festival, Natya Vriksha, in collaboration with UNESCO, Sangeet Natak Akademi and Ministry of Culture, celebrates World Dance Day

### Overseas performances

* US & Canada Tour for Kuchipudi Performances and Workshops
* Kuchipudi Faculty at Dance India-Milapfest 2014, Liverpool Hope University
* Festivals of India 2014 India-China Year of Friendly Exchange, China
* Sydney Dance Festival of Indian Classical Dances by Madhuram Academy of Performing Arts & Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan, Australia

## Awards and recognition

* Lead the Kuchipudi Dance Group tour to Africa sponsored by ICCR
* Among one of the 100 delegates selected by the Government of India as a part of India-China Year of Friendly Exchanges 2014
* Grade 'A' Artist of Doordarshan, Bangalore
Prateeksha Kashi was recently selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar Award by Central Sangeeth Natak Akademi, New Delhi. In 2011, she received the 37th annual Aryabhata International Award for excellence in Kuchipudi. She holds the titles of Nalanda Nritya Nipuna, instituted by the Nalanda Dance Research Centre, and Nritya Jyoti, awarded at the Naveen Kalakar.
Prateeksha was the winner of the dance competition conducted by Pandit Jasraj's Foundation in New York. She is a recipient of a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. In 2014, she was honored with Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskar in the field of dance by the Government of Maharashtra. Prateeksha is an empaneled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Government of India.