Madhavi's Guru, Padmashri Smt. Geeta Chandran
A celebrated artist and a star-performer, the name Geeta Chandran is synonymous with the Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam. Ms. Chandran began learning Bharatanatyam from the tender age of five 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 synthesized 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 Chandran 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, Ms. Chandran has evolved a holistic style of teaching the classical dance which engages young learners. Madhavi and her sister Meenakshi were the first students to be presented in their Arangetram (debut performance), and Geeta has since presented the arangetrams of over 30 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.
Guru Geeta Chandran is also Artistic Director of the NatyaVriksha Dance Company, known for the high aesthetic quality of its group presentations.
In recognition of her vast and varied contribution to Bharatanatyam, Ms. Chandran was awarded the prestigious national award -- the Padma Shri -- by the President of India in 2007.
Guru Geeta Chandran's Website: http://www.geetachandran.in/
Today she is a renowned artist who has synthesized 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 Chandran 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, Ms. Chandran has evolved a holistic style of teaching the classical dance which engages young learners. Madhavi and her sister Meenakshi were the first students to be presented in their Arangetram (debut performance), and Geeta has since presented the arangetrams of over 30 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.
Guru Geeta Chandran is also Artistic Director of the NatyaVriksha Dance Company, known for the high aesthetic quality of its group presentations.
In recognition of her vast and varied contribution to Bharatanatyam, Ms. Chandran was awarded the prestigious national award -- the Padma Shri -- by the President of India in 2007.
Guru Geeta Chandran's Website: http://www.geetachandran.in/
Madhavi with Geeta Akka.