Dancer Geeta Chandran honoured with Nritya Choodamani title

Chennai’s premiere Cultural organization Krishna Gana Sabha, has conferred its most prestigious Nritya Choodamani honour on Delhi-based dancer, Vidushi (Padmashri) Geeta Chandran.

The Nritya Choodamani represents an apex honour bestowed upon an exemplary artist who has dedicated her life to the promotion of her chosen art form and has contributed significantly to the preservation and upliftment of the art and to society at large through her performances and sustained commitment.

The award will be presented to Geeta Chandran on 13 December 2024 during the inaugural ceremony of the 68th Marghazi Mela at the Krishna Gana Sabha’s auditorium in Chennai.

In October this year, she will be marking 50 years of engagement with Bharatanatyam since her arangetram in 1974. In her five-decade career committed to dance, Geeta has been honoured with the Padmashri (2007); the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2016); and the Tagore National Fellowship (2017-2018).

Celebrated as one of the leading figures in Indian classical dance across the world today, Geeta is also a highly accomplished dance guru, scholar, choreographer, media personality and Carnatic vocalist.

She is founder-president of Natya Vriksha, New Delhi, where since 1991, she has fostered art education, mentoring and development of young artists. Geeta’s holistic pedagogy integrates classical dance learning with other diverse disciplines and values. She champions tradition, transcending linguistic barriers, and creating meaningful choreographies contributing to wider societal dialogue. Her dynamic performances reflect her vision of an interconnected, inclusive, and transformative cultural experience.

As an arts administrator, mentor and philanthropist, Geeta supports various causes, is greatly committed to arts education in formal curricula, and leads significant social campaigns.