When I was five years old, my mother took me to meet the famous dancer, Swarna Saraswathy, who was teaching Bharatanatyam, the South Indian classical dance, in Delhi. My mother urged me to present my future teacher with an offering plate on which were laid betel leaves, a coconut, bananas and an envelope with some money. I was made to do the traditional bow to the teacher. Without realising it at the time, with that gesture I was given forever to dance!
Since then, I have used the classical dance of Bharatanatyam to help people learn about a wide variety of contemporary issues. By so doing, I think I have influenced how people view me and my dance form, as well as their society. Over the decades, I have evolved from a totally traditional dancer, telling traditional stories, to one who can also narrate new stories about contemporary realities.
Tell us about any current projects you are involved in
What absorbs me totally these days is the issue of Bharatanatyam pedagogy. Let me explain. On one hand we see a dramatic drop in the quality of education at all levels. Yet, on the other, we have a thriving classical dance form like Bharatanatyam that has survived in transmission for about 3000 years. That process of transmission has yielded quality students who have stretched their imagination and creativity. So one model works; the other doesn’t. It is not rocket science to see that one system can learn from the other!
I am now creating this hyphen. I want Bharatanatyam pedagogy principles to be integrated with education policy, with skill-development, within management syllabi, with creativity institutes. This fabulous *punji*/capital we have in our hands needs to be shared. There is a wonderful saying in south India that a person holding butter in their hands went seeking ‘ghee’ everywhere. That is precisely our situation today. We have the pedagogy of the Arts and yet we are blindly seeking for systems of knowledge that can work in our cultural context. So, perhaps NOW is the time to sit up and take stock.
What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success?
For a dancer, the body is the instrument and it is probably the most difficult instrument to tune and tone. Daily ‘riyaaz’ has to happen with one’s ‘sadhna’. Each dancer has to understand their body and develop customised tuning and toning methods. Beyond the physical maintenance of
one’s body-instrument, the challenge is to keep the creative juices flowing. This constant struggle with body and creativity has been my biggest challenge and my biggest success!
If one is a creative artist, merely performing the routine does not pose a constant challenge. Artists need to be challenged constantly! So the constant tension is of doing or looking for
things to push the frontiers of gone’s own creativity and for the body-instrument to be able to translate that as an aesthetic performance. Truly, this is an ongoing challenge for me.
What has been your greatest achievement personally?
Multi-tasking has been what I have focussed most on. First there is me and my career as a dancer. Then there is me in the context of my family. Then me in the context of being a teacher, and as a role-model for my disciples. Then there is my responsibility as a citizen. Juggling these various personas is a continuing challenge that happens through planned time management and efficient thought processes.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?
I really don’t know. I am useless at doing anything else. To me all roads lead to dance. Period.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
I am inspired by great artists. The magic of M.S. Subbulakshmi and her multiple charms. The dynamism of dancer Yamini Krishnamurthi. The passion of my artist friends Paresh Maity and Jayasri Burman. The dedication of India’s humble weavers creating fabulous handlooms on their rudimentary looms. The awesome crafts that India is home to. Each one of these has been
my inspiration and continues to inspire me.
What does the future hold for you?
Dancers believe in transformation. I have just completed forty years of dancing since my arangetram debut in 1974. The next decades will see me continue performing and choreographing but also asking questions. I hope to catalyse corporate funding for the arts through Corporate Cultural Responsibility. I hope to continue catalysing my students. I hope to be the first dancer to perform on Mars…so, always Mangal-yaan…always on the auspicious/aesthetic journey…
About Geeta Chandran
A celebrated artist and a star-performer, Geeta Chandran has synthesised the knowledge she received from eminent Gurus to imprint Bharatanatyam with her personal vision of the dance. A polymath artist, Geeta Chandran is celebrated not only for her deep understanding of the art of Bharatanatyam, but also for her Carnatic music.
Geeta is Founder-President of Natya-Vriksha and Artistic Director of the Natya Vriksha Dance Company, known for the high aesthetic quality of its group presentations. Author of ‘So Many Journeys’, a personal collection of her writings, Geeta also writes a dance column in The New Indian Express/Sunday Standard. She engages in the widest range of dance-related activities: performing, teaching, conducting, singing, collaborating, organising, writing and speaking to new youth audiences. Geeta was awarded the prestigious national award, Padma Shri, by the President of India, 2007. In 2014-2015, she is marking the completion of four decades of dedication to classical dance.
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: www.geetachandran.com and www.geetachandran.in
- Twitter: @GeetaChandran
- Facebook: GeetaChandran
This article was provided by WeAreTheCity Delhi Committee Member Ashish Bhardwaj.
