Through her dance, Geeta Chandran described the qualities of a pacesetter. She tells Iknoor Kaur about sharing important messages through her performances
There are many languages of art and some speak louder than words. A layman may not understand the emotion each language delivers, but the essence remains. For Bharatanatyam dancer, Geeta Chandran, dance is her only way of expression. She recently performed at the leadership Initiative for Excellence by the Global Education & leadership Foundation. “I incorporated many motifs deliver message on leadership through my performance,” said the well-renowned dancer.
Choreographed and performed by Geeta, it was a five-point collaborative. The first piece revolved around change. She did the Shiva Panchaksharam where she looked at Shiva as a metaphor for transformation. She elaborated, “Change is inevitable and the iconography of Shiva is the best way to present that.”
Taking the Advaita philosophy that Shakara gives, the second sequence depicted the characteristics of a leader. “leaders are known by the number of followers they have. Thus, the important point here is to be a role model,” she added.
Geeta explained the next part and said that “passion and adherence to social norms are important qualities of a leader. It drives you through the long journey of leadership.” She showed this through the impersonation of Meera who fought the world and set an example of devotion and love.
She also used poems by lakshmi Kanan’s Unquiet Waters. The first one dealt with women and the sensitivity to gender. She compared the spirit of women to water. She said, “When water is set free, it can just flow and that defines the strength of a woman. leadership is about both genders.”
The second poem took up the issue of relationships. According to Geeta, relationships play an important role in the establishment of the leader. They also affect its performance. She did this with the Amarushataka, a collection of love poems dating back to nineth century.
“I have always tried to integrate art in the day-to-day curriculum. I feel it is better to do it at a personal level because people realise the value of it. Many schools have been following my advice. Through this dance I have gone into the classical texts and looked for patterns to define leadership,” she added. Geeta is now headed to Patna where she will perform on the six concepts of Gandhian thought, after which she will be doing two shows in Delhi.