Geeta Chandran’s ‘So Many Journeys’ on stage in 50th anniversary of her arangetram

Guru Geeta Chandran

It was in 1962 that she was born. In 1974, at the age of 12, she had her arangetram. Since then, Guru Geeta Chandran has undertaken ‘So Many Journeys’ in this span of 50 years. And so that – ‘So Many Journeys’ – was an apt title for the 50-year celebration of her arangetram, held in Delhi last year on the 50th anniversary of her first formal performance.

I interviewed Geeta ji before the event about the journey to – and since – her arangetram, presided over by her guru, Swarna Saraswathy (click here for the interview). She was a child and she was studying, but the spark to dance in her was so strong that her teacher allowed her to have an arangetram. She went on to study Mathematical Statistics and then Journalism but she was still dancing. She got married to Rajiv Chandran and she was still dancing. She lived in a joint family and took up a job but was still dancing. She became a mother and she was still dancing. She became an established performer, opened a school for Bharatanatyam and was still dancing. I am sure she must be a strict teacher but she endears herself to her disciples, becomes their akka, and is still dancing. She has become a grandmother to two lovely kids and is still dancing. She has won the highest awards from so many prestigious platforms all around the world and she is still dancing. She has roamed all the world with her dance company and is still dancing. All these 50 years, she has been a dedicated dancer and wishes to die doing the same – dancing. It was to celebrate these 50 years of her dancing that Natya Vriksha organized a two day festival at Kamani Auditorium on 24 and 25 October 2024. Truly, Geeta Chandran has undertaken so many journeys.
 

At the entrance to the auditorium

 

Inside the foyer at Kamani Auditorium

       

Exhibition of her photographs from the past and the present

 

Exhibition of her photographs from the past and the present

 

Exhibition of her photographs from the past and the present

 

Exhibition of her photographs from the past and the present

 

Exhibition of her photographs from the past and the present

In the foyer at Kamani was an exhibition of her photographs from the past and the present with arrangement of textiles, her other great passion, between them. The stage had mogra and an urn full of yellow or golden lilies, and the air was rich with their fragrance. On one corner of the stage were two panels of black cloth hanging from the ceiling, with increasing number of lines and decreasing size of the hole in the centre. There is a lot of thought that has gone into the making of these pieces of textiles that were used. They are specially commissioned pieces made using tie and dye. The circles reflect the consciousness. The three lines give way to two lines, which give way to one, which gives way to empty space. They indicate the progression of finding of the self, which was a metaphor for Geeta ji’s journey. It was specially made for this event.

The event started with a very interesting movie on Geeta Chandran which featured people who have been with her all these years and have been a part of her journey speaking about her. Any success is also measured by how many friends you have endeared to yourself on your path. Sadhna Shrivastava introduced Geeta ji’s achievements in chaste Hindi and English. The movie started with Brij Mohan Gupta, her make-up artist, talking about her professionalism. Sandhya Raman, her costume designer, remarked on her beauty and her understanding of the fact that aharyam could also need a designer. Sudha Raghuraman, Carnatic musician, reminisced that performing with her meant enjoying oneself on stage, that there was a structured piece but we could easily play and go along with each other and improvise. Her association with Karaikudi Sivakumar and S. Shankar was remembered and the fact that at her place, it was more like a family together. G. Raghuraman, veteran flautist, spoke about her. R. Kesavan, mridangist, said he has been given many opportunities by her. Vocalist K. Venkatesh said that he had an intangible wavelength that he felt with her. Her dance has a lot of musicality. Sandeep Dutta, senior lighting professional, talked about her making use of gaps in the music. The two percussionists, Manohar and Varun, on mridangam and ghatam, talked about the new opportunities they get while working with her. Lighting veteran Milind Srivastava was again very happy about the scope for exploration while working with her. The very young violinist Raghavendra Prasath, who has been performing with her since he was studying in class 12, was all praise for her. These were the journeys of many other artists that crossed her own and they made it their journey together. The exhibition of photographs was created by Sandhya with a textile installation. The movie was made by her disciple and NV manager Amruthasruthi Radhakrishnan and photographer Innee Singh. The special guests at the event included fellow dance veterans Drs. Raja and Radha Reddy, Anita Ratnam, Rama Vaidyanathan and Vanashree Rao.

The title for the evening was ‘Pravahati’ or flowing, and it showcased how Geeta has explored time and space, neither of which are stagnant. She has experimented with her form and content, keeping the tradition of Bharatnatyam in focus. The pravaha or flow is propelled by imagination and execution. This was an ensemble piece performed by Geeta ji’s senior disciples. In all the years that I have been writing this blog, I have seen these girls grow up together into fine dancers and their rapport with their guru and each other is apparent. 

 

The evening started with a tribute to Lord Shiva, the Nataraja, ‘Shankara jatadhara’, which truly embodies the dance of the Nataraja. Shiva presides over the five elements of creation. The choreographer intends to spread awareness to stop people destroying these elements. 

 

The dancers looked brilliant in their golden saris with shades of green, and purple blouses. After a pushpanjali, they moved in nritta, covering the stage in formations. Their expansive hastas and postures while standing or in squats were impressive.

The next piece was a jatiswaram in raag Poorvikalyani, a Tanjore quartet composition. The jatiswaram reinterprets the adavus in rhythm and its resonance can be seen in the movement. Five dancers entered the stage and they had added a green fan on one side of their sari. 

 

 

They started with nritta with perfect footwork. Sowmya and Yadavi continued with jatis. The ease with which the two dancers moved all over the stage with their right, left, backward and forward jatis was a treat to watch. They moved, alternating and together, in squats and standing postures. Their smiles and eye movements added to the magic. The rest of the group moved in and out in formations.
 
The next piece was a solo by Madhura Bhrushundi. With the dancers of Natya Vriksha, my experience goes back to when these girls were evolving as soloists. So with a chest swollen with pride at the way they have evolved, I state that it was a great piece. 

Madhura Bhrushundi

‘Natanam Adinaar’ celebrates Nataraja in Chidambaram. The composition is in raag Vasantha, 14 beats. Shiva presides over destruction and creation. It is a composition by Gopalakrishna Bharathi. The choreography was of course by Geeta Chandran with rhythmic inputs by the late Karaikudi Sivakumar. Madhura had a costume change in red and green. 

Madhura Bhrushundi

She began in broad plie with her back to the audience, depicting the jata of Shiva. Through nritya, hastas and postures, she depicted Shiva’s knotted locks, the Ganga flowing from them in slow, gentle waves, the moon on his knotted hair, snakes all over, damru in one hand and agni in the other, riding the Nandi. 

Madhura Bhrushundi

It was her nritta that was captivating – her leg lifts, leg stretches, squats, balancing stances, stage coverage, moves on knees, side leg lifts, holding her foot on a side leg lift. She displayed very clean lines and chiselled moves. Her footwork too was impressive.

Guru Geeta Chandran

The next piece for the evening was a solo by Geeta ji wherein she interprets and presents Ravana. She has performed the piece earlier as well, but each time, it has a different flavour, highlighting many aspects of Ravana’s character. She also uses a special black costume for the character. Ravana is shown to be moving from his chambers. As is customary, there is showering of flowers at his feet and aarti as the mridangam and other instruments are played to welcome the king. The ornaments that he wears he nonchalantly gives away to his servants. His gait is full of arrogance, power and narcissism. He dresses up to meet Sita, whom he has held hostage in Ashok Vatika. He chooses a robe, his waist band, ornaments to embellish himself, and reviews his looks in the mirror, pretty sure that Sita is going to be intoxicated at seeing him. He picks a few flowers to offer to her and twirls them in his hand. 

Guru Geeta Chandran

As soon as he enters the vatika, he freezes when he sees her. Her beauty, her body – he cannot take his eyes off her. Even the moon is defeated by her beauty. He gathers his senses and addresses her as charusmite, charunetra, vilasini. She is like the hawk who swooped down at his heart and flew away with the bounty. She is the ideal among women and he among men on earth. With all this boasting, he tries to win her over, begging her for a look and a few words, but defeated, he walks away with the gait of a heartbroken one, in total contrast to what he was when he came.

Guru Geeta Chandran

Geeta ji has perfectly mastered the character acting for Ravana. She lives him every minute of the piece and it is an experience to watch her. Her second solo is also one of my favourites. It is an interpretation of ‘Krishna Ne Begane Baro’ from the perspective of a mother, of a nayika and of a bhakta – vatsalya, shringara and bhakti.

Guru Geeta Chandran

As the mother, Yashoda, she goes looking for him among his calves. It is the morpankh that gives him away. She tries catching him and then lures him with the taste and smell of fresh butter. He comes and holds her hand, begging for butter. She gets a kiss as a bribe and then he gobbles up the butter. She cleans his face, which has become smeared with butter.

Guru Geeta Chandran

As the nayika, she decks up her bed and chambers as she waits. She stops him in his path and kisses and caresses him as she looks at his face. As the bhakta, she is restless to reach his feet. She is weighed down by the bondage of bhavasagar and the rituals of pooja. 

Guru Geeta Chandran

Each day, she performs the pooja, but now she wants to break all bonds and fall at his feet. And then, in a moment of epiphany, she sees him coming with his flute. These were two of Geeta ji’s favourite pieces, which have also evolved with her and speak about her journey.

Sharanya Chandran (Pic courtesy: Sarabjit Singh Dhillon)

Next, it was Sharanya Chandran, her daughter and most senior disciple, who took the stage. Sharanya stood in dola hasta for ‘Ardhnareeshwara’. The composition was by the ancient poet Vidyapati. It captured the essence of ardhanareeshwara very aptly, furthering the meeting of Shiva and Shakti in the sahasrara chakra. The composition was in raagmallika, aditalam. Sharanya depicted the yin and yang meeting in the chakras of the body as the kundalini rises in the form of a lotus. 

Sharanya Chandran (Pic courtesy: Sarabjit Singh Dhillon)

The contrasting attributes of both were depicted – veni and jata, damro and lotus, snakes and ornaments, nandi and the lion, rundmala and beads necklace, chandan and vibhuti, one side the yogi and the other the bhogi, one in ghunghat and the other bare, wearing only deerskin. Sharanya reinterpreted the self-choreographed piece that she had performed a little while back. It was not only more internalized but reformulated for a bigger stage.

The day reached its culmination in a tillana. The dancers wore blue blouses with blue-green fans and golden saris. The tillana was started with more of hand movements. The hands moved to show blossoming lotuses and closing buds as the dancers formed rows sitting and squatting alternately. If I begin to mention the proficiency of each dancer, it would be a massive task. Sowmya was gentle and precise, Radhika fierce and energetic, Madhura precise and sharp. Yadavi Shakdher Menon, Anandita Narayanan and Shruta Gopalan were just, well, awesome. Together, they all displayed what makes up a single individual – their Geeta akka.