A celebrated artist and a star-performer, Geeta Chandran is synonymous with the
Indian classical dance: Bharatanatyam. She began learning Bharatanatyam
from the tender age of 5 years under the tutelage of Smt. Swarna Saraswathy,
who hailed from the traditional Thanjavoor devadasi parampara.
Subsequently, Geeta continued learning diverse aspects of the classical dance from a galaxy of
eminent Gurus.
Today she is a renowned artist who has synthesised the knowledge she received
from her Gurus to imprint Bharatanatyam with her personal vision of the dance.
In her dance presentations Geeta Chandran skilfully weaves abstract notions of Joy,
Beauty, Values, Aspirations, Myth and Spirituality.
Geeta is celebrated not only for her deep and composite understanding of the art
of Bharatanatyam, but also for her Carnatic music (she is a trained and
accomplished vocalist), her work in television, video and film, theatre,
choreography, dance education, dance activism and dance-issue journalism.
Founder-President of Natya-Vriksha, an organization devoted to promoting
Bharatanatyam, Geeta has evolved a holistic style of teaching the classical dance
which engages young learners. She has presented the arangetrams (debut
performance) of 25 senior disciples who continue their training under her and
she continues to mentor over one hundred disciples; several of her students have
blossomed as full-fledged performers.
Geeta Chandran is also Artistic Director of the Natya Vriksha Dance Company,
known for the high aesthetic quality of its group presentations.
Geeta has constantly striven to create new spaces for the classical dancer of
today. She has continuously attempted to push the frontiers of the classical art
and to reach out to new, and especially young, audiences. Geeta believes that
dance must be linked to life and that artists must use their unique position in
society to make a difference to life and living. Her choreographies HER VOICE and
IMAGINING PEACE articulated her conviction that dance can be a vehicle to build
social bridges. Her widely acclaimed dance-theatre production KAIKEYI and her
choreographies on the themes of DRUGS have thrown the spotlight on issues of
social stigma. Her 2008 work -- MYTHOLOGIES RETOLD -- addresses the social
curse of female feticide. She is also known for using classical Bharatanatyam
to amplify gender and environmental issues.
An A-Top graded dancer at Doordarshan and at the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR), Geeta has been recipient of both the Junior and Senior
Research Fellowships from the Government of India’s Department of Culture.
She is recipient of several awards including the Lady Shri Ram College
Illustrious Alumna Award, the Dandayudhapani Pillai Award, the Bharat Nirman
Award, the Natya Ilavarasi, the Indira Priyadarshini Award, the Media India
Award, the National Critics Award, the Sringar Mani and the Natya Ratna.
She has travelled all over the world with her performances and has danced at
many prestigious dance festivals in India and abroad. In 2007, she was invited
to perform at the World Hindi Conference in New York, and then again to represent
India at the India-60 celebrations at the Lincoln Centre in New York.
Geeta is associated with several NGOs and charitable organizations raising
resources for valuable causes, among them peace, environment and peace.
She is well-known for her association with philanthropic causes, and has
presented innumerable performances to raise funds for worth social causes.
She is most especially identified with gender issues and poverty. Her recent
work showcasing the horror of female feticide through dance has won her renewed praise.
Geeta has authored a book SO MANY JOURNEYS, an intensely personal collection
of her writings narrating her engagement with Bharatanatyam. In April 2009,
in her book entitled Dynamic Women Dancers (Women’s Hall of Fame series) Canadian
author Anne Dublin listed Geeta Chandran as one of ten global “all time great dancers”.
A widely respected role model for the young generation, Geeta is on the Board
of reputed educational institutions of India, both schools and colleges.
She has also been nominated as a Board Member of India’s National Film Censor Board.
She engages in the widest range of dance-related activities: performing,
teaching, conducting, singing, collaborating, organizing, writing and
speaking to new youth audiences.
In recognition of her vast and varied contribution to Bharatanatyam, Geeta
was awarded the prestigious national award--the Padma Shri--
by the President of India in 2007.
PS: According to a public youth poll conducted by Times of India in August
2008, Geeta Chandran was voted Delhi’s “hottest” dancer
ACADEMIC ADVISORY ROLE:
Current:
Government of India nominee as MEMBER of the GENERAL COUNCIL and EXECUTIVE BOARD
of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi (for five years beginning June 2009)
MEMBER, ACADEMIC COUNCIL, Benares Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
(May 2009, for 3 years)
MEMBER of the National Board of Film Certification (Censor Board), Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting
MEMBER of the Advisory Board of Vidya Sanskar International School, Faridabad
MEMBER of screening committee of Fellowships and Grants, Culture Ministry, Government of India
TRUSTEE, Hindi Bhavan, New Delhi
Previous…
Was Member of NCERT Steering Group to frame cultural component of the CBSE and state syllabi
Was Member of Defence Ministry Committee for Republic Day
Was Member of Doordarshan panel to screen serial project proposals
Was Adjunct Professor at BITS, Pilani, advising on integrating culture in technical studies
Was Board Member of Kamla Nehru College, Delhi University for 5 years
AWARDS AND HONOURS
PADMA SHRI (2007)
TOP GRADE granted by Doordarshan (June 2004)
OUTSTANDING ARTIST status granted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) (Sept. 2005)
TEN DYNAMIC WOMEN DANCERS OF THE WORLD, a book by Canadian author Anne Dublin put Geeta Chandran’s
contribution to Indian dance in the league of all-time world greats like Anna Pavlova (May 2009)
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA NOMINEE on GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE CENTARL SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI.
(Five years, beginning June 2009)
MEMBER, ACADEMIC COUNCIL, Benares Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
(For 3 years, beginning May 2009)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, conferred on 31 March 2009 by the World Congress of Women,
to acknowledge sustained commitment to gender issues through classical dance.
KISHORE KUMAR KALA RATNA Award, conferred on 26 December 2008 by the Kishore Kumar
Memorial Club of Delhi, and presented by Mr. J.P. Agarwal, President, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.
KARAMVEER PURUSKAAR 2008 (National Award for Social Justice and Citizen Action) awarded
by i-CONGO (Indian Confederation of NGOs) and the Khemka Foundation, for her advocacy through
classical dance to further social action and citizen justice. (26 November 2008)
MERI DILLI AWARD: Conferred by NNS Media Group (6 September 2008)
GLOBAL LEADER : Bharatanatyam Dancer/Choreographer Geeta Chandran, Founder-President,
Natya Vriksha, was selected as a Helmut Schmidt Fellow from India to participate in a
“Young Leaders Forum” being convened in Stockholm, Sweden, 23-28 June 2008.
The Young Leaders Forum is a new initiative of the InterAction Council of Former Heads
of State and Government (Current Chair: Ingvar Carlsson, Former Prime Minister of Sweden)
which was founded in 1983 to address long-term global problems facing humankind.
Now, after a quarter century, the Council has decided to groom a young generation of world
leaders by organizing a Young Leaders Forum in conjunction with its upcoming 26th annual meeting.
The Young Leaders Forum will catalyze a network of international colleagues from diverse
countries and professions and disseminate the values important to the Council; peace and disarmament,
economic revitalization and development, and the nexus of universal ethical issues.
Geeta Chandran was the only Indian in the Young Leaders Forum, and the only artist in this network
of 21 Young Leaders selected from around the world.
BOARD MEMBER, CENTRAL BOARD OF FILM CERTIFICATION (CENSOR BOARD): Nominated for 3 years
beginning 2008.
BOARD MEMBER OF KAMLA NEHRU COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI: Nominated for 3 years beginning 2008.
CHITRA KALA SANGAM ANNUAL AWARD 2008
NATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD: Presented by the T. P. Jhunjhunwala Foundation for overall
contribution to Art and Culture, the award was presented by Justice R.C. Lahoti, former Chief
Justice of India, and Mr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, legal luminary and Spokesman, Congress Party.
(25 January 2008)
WOMEN ACHIEVERS AWARD: Presented by the Cancer Patients Aid Association of India
(5 October 2007, presented by Mrs. Sushma Swaraj and Shri. Shatrughan Sinha)
SOCIAL JUSTICE MEDAL bestowed by the Chief Justice of India, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan,
on behalf of the Institute for Gender Justice in collaboration with the National Legal Services
Authority, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, 8 March 2007.
SHAKTI HONOUR bestowed by Kala Kunj, a cultural NGO, June 2006
DELHI RATTAN AWARD conferred by the Art and Culture Trust of India, May 2006. The award was
bestowd by Smt. Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL’s PRATIBHA AWARD, February 2006
LSR ALUMNA AWARD, March 2005. This prestigious honour was presented by alma mater
Lady Shri Ram College in its Golden Jubilee Year.
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR at Birla Institute of Technolgy & Science (BITS) Pilani,
Rajasthan (2004-2006)
SWASTHYA CHETNA RATNA awarded by the Heart Care Foundation of India for contribution
to health awareness in society (October 2003)
SENIOR FELLOWSHIP (two years) from Department of Culture, Government of India (2003).
The fellowship was granted to pursue research and integrate compositions of the Haveli
Sangeet tradition of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan into the Bharatanatyam repertoire.
ACHIEVERS of the MILLENIUM AWARD (2001)
DANDAYUDHAPANI PILLAI AWARD for Bharatnatayam (13 July 2001)
BHARAT NIRMAN AWARD on the occasion of International Women's Day, for significant contribution
to classical dance (8 March 2001)
SCHOLAR OF PEACE FELLOWSHIP awarded by WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace)
of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama (2000)
GREEN AMBASSADOR AWARD bestowed by Artists for Empowerment, an NGO, on
World Environment Day (5 June 2000)
NATYA ILAVARASI bestowed by the Sree Shanmukhananda Sabha Sangeetha Sabha, New Delhi
(February 1999)
INDIRA PRIYADARSHINI AWARD bestowed by the All India National Unity Conference
(May 1998)
MEDIA INDIA AWARD bestowed by Media India Foundation (November 1997)
NATIONAL CRITICS AWARD bestowed by the Critics Circle, Calcutta (1997)
JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP (two years), by Department of Culture, Govt. of India (1993).
The fellowship was to pursue research in vachika abhinaya.
SRINGAR MANI bestowed by the Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai (1980)
NATYA RATNA on graduating from the Bharata Natya Academy, New Delhi (1974)
