In step with the guru

Geeta Chandrans Bharatanatyam moves are laden with the memories of her mentor,Swarna Saraswathy

Geeta Chandrans Bharatanatyam moves are laden with the memories of her mentor,Swarna Saraswathy
My head was moulded by a classicmy first guru,Swarna Saraswathy,who taught me Bharatanatyam when I was five. One of the earliest lessons I learnt from her was that of multi-tasking,without making a huge fuss about it. Swarna was a complete artista dancer,a musician,an instrumentalist,a philosopher,and one who thought deeply about her art. Her life and living imprinted on me the need for impeccable training in whatever one wanted to excel in.

She was the daughter of well-known singer Rajamani Ammal and the granddaughter of distinguished dancer Amritha Ethiraja Ammal. She had her early training under her grandmother and under Kanchipuram Thiruvengada Nattuvanar. From the age of seven,she regularly accompanied her mother in music recitals. She was also a concert-level veena artist. What a complete grasp on the arts she had!

It was Swarna who taught me the unique link between movement and music,a quality that deeply imbues my dance. Every time I dance,it is laden with memories of her training; the little inflections that made her Bharatanatyam special and sacred. My favourite memento from her is not the huge repertoire of the dance that she seared my soul with,but the attitude that dance can lead to a higher plane of philosophy,that dance had to be a passion,a madness,a junoon.
Her favourite metaphor was of the eveningthe hour of pradoshawhen all the senses are heightened. She worked to make dance suffused with the spirit of pradosha. That dance should heighten human sensitivity was her philosophy.

She truly was a multi-carat diamond; rather like the flashing diamonds on her ear lobes and nostrils. She looked like a perfect Thanjavoor sculpture with her large limpid eyes,that could convey several levels of meaning with a simple inflection of the brow or eyelid. She was a true classic that I had the privilege to be taught by. u

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More