Beginning her dancing debut in 1957 in Chennai, then called Madras, Yamini had led an eventful dancing career. She has the honor of being Asthana Nartaki (resident dancer) of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. Her dancing career brought her many awards, including the Padma Shree (1968) and the Padma Bhushan (2001), which are among the highest civilian awards of the Republic of India.
