KOCHI: A five-year-old girl who started learning dance only because of her mother’s interest grew up to earn the fourth-highest civilian award in the country, Padma Shri, in 2007.
Geeta Chandran, born in Mattancherry and brought up in Delhi, embarked on her dance journey at a young age under Swarna Saraswathy, a luminary in the Thanjavur dasi style. It was during that time that Geeta developed a profound affection for dance, laying the foundation for her lifelong passion. With over five decades of experience, Geeta has showcased her talent across various platforms and earned accolades such as the Central Sangeetha Natak Akademi Award and the Tagore National Fellowship.
In a free-wheeling conversation with TNIE, the danseuse opens up about her career, transitioning into a teacher and the future of bharatanatyam.
Excerpts:
How is Thanjavur dasi style different, and how did it help shape your journey?
In dasi style, they used to dedicate their dance to the gods. The audience was never important in their minds. The dance was seen as a selfless service. When you offer anything to the deity, will you offer anything other than the best?
The performance was not for applause. It was for that sheer joy of offering. I found this extremely important. My philosophy is to dance as an offering.
What prompted you to pursue bharatanatyam?
I graduated in mathematical statistics and later completed post-graduation in advertising and public relations at the Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC). It was during that period that I began to perceive dance not merely as a temple art but as a powerful form of communication.
Dance was always seen as something sacred, to be kept like a tradition. But when I started seeing it as a powerful communication tool, all traditions became contemporary. And that was a phase in my life where I was pushing the frontiers and trying to bring contemporary issues to the forefront. I was trying to do collaborations with puppetry, theatre, and much more. However, in all my experiments, I made sure to never compromise my understanding of the classic.
You are a proficient dancer as well as a good musician. That is a trait I observed in many renowned dancers.
Yes, I’m trained in Carnatic music, and I believe art forms are connected. My dance is greatly impacted by music. I think that is my USP. Poetry, music, and dance, I think, cannot be separated. If you want to write poetry, you must know music and dance. same for the other two. It’s only now that we have made it into silos. But these are all very complementary forms of expression.
How has your dance style evolved over time?
I’m at a stage where my dance seamlessly integrates with life itself. In dance, I see reflections of my experiences and feelings, going beyond just movements to capture life. I love embracing spontaneity and improvisation because it opens up endless possibilities. I don’t plan my pieces; I do Manodharma.
Anantaya, which means infinity, is like my compass in each performance. It reminds me that every moment on stage is a chance to create something truly unique. Now I also try to include my opinion in my art. Environment and gender are the main issues that I have taken up in my production. But when we portray social issues through dance, it shouldn’t sound like propaganda, but at the same time, you have to address the issue.Unless the performer or creator feels strongly about the subject, it will become hollow.
And I find it very important to speak through my dance because many times there is criticism that dance only talks about legacy and tradition. That used to disturb me. I used to say, with this kind of strong vocabulary in our hands, why should we have this kind of criticism?
How do you see the transition from being a dancer to becoming a teacher and the founder of Natya Vriksha, one of India’s premier training academies for bharatanatyam?
I never realised it when I became a teacher; it just felt like a natural progression. My guru instilled in me a love for teaching. Upon starting my dance school, Natya Vriksha, I became deeply interested in pedagogy.
We made it our mission to incorporate disciplines like sculpture, iconography, and visual arts into our curriculum. While not all our students may pursue dance professionally, they will possess the pride of our rich cultural heritage.
What differences have you observed between today’s students?
I think in this era, student engagement with reading appears to be declining. Our generation used to read a lot to seek information from scholars and explore traditional pieces to understand their underlying philosophies. But nowadays, young people seem less curious, and the quest for knowledge is diminishing.
Traditionally, it is good to stay within one system for a period to build a strong foundation. However, the impatience of many often leads to premature exploration. Dance is about self-discovery, not imitation.
But every generation brings different skills, and they are all talented people. So, I have to unlearn and see how I can engage them in this beautiful art.
Have you also noticed any shifts in audience expectations and engagement?
Yes, the audience has changed. Now, for many, two-minute reels are enough. Certain things cannot be edited or shrunk. You have to experience it. Art forms like kathakali or bharatanatyam require time to unfold their complexities and evoke emotions. Condensing them into snippets undermines their essence.
So festivals like Nishagandhi give hope. However, achieving widespread recognition for classical arts remains challenging in the face of dominant popular culture. We need greater support and promotion to raise classical dance to its rightful place in society.