Padma Shri awardee Geeta Chandran, honored with the NRITYA CHOODAMANI, celebrates 50 years of transformative work in Bharatanatyam, underscoring her lasting impact on classical dance and cultural dialogue, says SAKSHI PRIYA

Congratulations on being conferred the NRITYA CHOODAMANI title. Reflecting on your 50-year journey in Bharatanatyam, how do you perceive this honour in the context of your career and contributions to classical dance?

Every award is a reminder that the work must continue. But, frankly, after a while, the awards truly cease to matter. One’s perspective changes. What is truly exciting is that the body and the mind are so aligned that one can dance only for oneself. That is the most exciting frontier. Everything else feels superficial.

You have received numerous prestigious awards over your career, including the Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. How does the NRITYA CHOODAMANI title compare to these other honours in terms of its significance to you?

The Krishna Gana Sabha is an extremely prestigious dance forum in Chennai. An honour from that Sabha is very significant. In fact, for a Bharatanatyam dancer who has crafted my dance journey completely outside Chennai considered the mecca of Bharatanatyam, this is a nod from that citadel. So, I value it.

Your journey in Bharatanatyam began 50 years ago with your arangetram. Can you share some of the most pivotal moments and challenges you faced during these five decades?

Dance is probably the most fragile of artistic pursuits. That is because its instrument is the body and to keep that tuned constantly in pitch condition is an extremely arduous and daily task. Taming the body constantly for fifty years has been challenge Number 1. The next challenge has been to add layers to the knowledge gained from some of the most wonderful Gurus of those decades. And finally, the search for one’s own artistic voice and to keep it sane without compromises has been a wonderful path of self-realization.

As the Founder-President of NATYA VRIKSHA, you have nurtured many young artists. How has your philosophy of holistic dance education evolved over the years and what core values do you emphasise in your teachings?

Dance as movement is only a fraction of my vision of dance. At Natya Vriksha, I have experimented with Bharatanatyam as a ‘force multiplier’ for the widest range of classical dance issues that have engaged my focus: exploring linkages between body and mind; forging relationships between solo dancing, group dancing and choreography; actualising the connects between the artist and society; and using dance as a medium for expressing abstract notions of Joy, Beauty, Values, Aspirations, Mythology and Spirituality.

NATYA VRIKSHA’s vision statement seeks to probe the continuing relevance of classical tradition in a world of changing values. It showcases the aesthetics of Bharatanatyam and its history, how the tenets of the dance can be employed as a means of communicating issues of contemporary concern, even while exploring linkages between history and continuity, between external body and internal mind-space, between yesterday and tomorrow, between artist and audience............between roots and wings.

You are celebrated for your dynamic performances that promote societal dialogue and inclusivity. Could you elaborate on how you choose themes and choreograph pieces that transcend linguistic and cultural barriers?

My engagement with contemporary issues led me to create a unique format which I call performance-dialogue through which I raise contemporary issues through my classical performances. Previous works like HER VOICE and IMAGINING PEACE raised issues of the meaninglessness of violence. KAIKEYI spoke about stigma and villainization. MYTHOLOGIES RETOLD addressed the issue of female foeticide. ANEKANTA highlighted the Indian Constitution’s vision of an inclusive society. And GANDHI: WARP AND WEFT was a reminder of Gandhian values and choices. SIMHIKA: DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST highlighted the need for justice and rights for forest tribals. JAYATU BHARATAM celebrated 75 years of India’s independence.

All these choreographies have articulated my conviction that dance can be a vehicle to build social bridges and erase social stigma, amplify gender issues and raise awareness on making sustainable environmental choices. I am currently absorbed with creating a new work that looks at new dimensions of women and conflict.

Preserving and promoting Bharatanatyam is a significant part of your legacy. What specific initiatives or projects have you championed to ensure the art form’s relevance and vibrancy in today’s world?

At NATYA VRIKSHA,  I aim to make youth aware of the immense potential of Bharatanatyam to become a live voyage of learning; make them comprehend the complex ; inter-linkages between the classical dance tradition and its strict grammar with other disciplines: Philosophy, Ritual, Religion, Myths, Ancient texts, Poetry, Literature, Art (Painting and Sculpture), Cultural Studies, Yoga, Handicrafts & Handlooms and Beauty & Aesthetics.  

Towards this end, I have evolved a holistic method of transmitting classical dance; an approach that encompasses training students both in dance (theory and practice) and dance aesthetics.  They are also made aware of the related fields of music, aharya (costuming & make-up), stage design and sound & light technologies. The aim is to use Bharatanatyam as a tool to wider knowledge, spiritual and physical empowerment

Balancing multiple roles as a dancer, choreographer, Carnatic vocalist and media personality is no small feat. How do you integrate these diverse aspects of your artistic identity into a cohesive whole?

There is no master plan; just efficient management of time to do all these things that I truly enjoy and that imbue my being with meaning.

Curating dance at the Serendipity Arts Festival must be a unique experience. How has this role influenced your perspective on contemporary and traditional art forms and how do you see them converging?

Serendipity has made me focus on young audiences and their expectations of performance. And what joy it is to see that GenZZZ can equally engage and enjoy the pristine classical and the contemporary and also the experimental. Curating that dizzy mix has brought me in touch with artists from across the spectrum all over India, South Asia and beyond.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind in the world of Bharatanatyam and classical dance, both through your performances and your work with students and the broader community?

I don’t yearn for any legacy. The only legacy is constant sweat. If you can do that every single day of your life, you can become a dancer. Everyone else remains an amateur.