Padma Shri Geeta Chandran is synonymous with Bharatanatyam, the classical dance she has practised for decades since her journey began at the age of five under the tutelage of her first guru Swarna Saraswati. Through her art, she has been able to evoke a wide range of emotions and spark discourse regarding the pressing issues of the day.

Chandran (62) is also the founder-president of NATYA VRIKSHA, a leading centre for training in Bharatanatyam in its most composite form. She was recently awarded the Nritya Choodamani honour for her significant contribution to the preservation and upliftment of art.

In an exclusive interaction with Surya S Pillai of The Statesman, the acclaimed artist opens up about her journey into the world of dance, the current crop of young dancers and the pathetic state of art education in the country.

Q. You are running NATYA VRIKSHA since 1991. Most parents rush to admit children as young as 2 or 3 years old to dance centres for status quo and not for the love of the art. Do you agree?

A. Absolutely. But we at, NATYA VRIKSHA, rigorously interview parents and explain it to them that dance is not a mere sport or an entertainment tool. Dance or art is much beyond that. We teach interdisciplinary art, not just Bharatanatyam. We teach everything allied with the art like poetry, literature, mythology, architecture, design, texture and history. Unfortunately, pedagogy has become myopic, it is only performative today.

I am also disappointed with the arts education in the country which has been reduced to tokenism. I have stopped going to school annual days because there is mockery of art on display. School principals take pride in saying 500 students participated in the cultural events, but what are the students doing? Holding a flag? Schools siphon off a lot of money without offering anything concrete in such events. There is zero input from schools when it comes to art.

Q. How do you look at dance being a potent social communication medium, especially for India whose soft power has been winning hearts across the globe?

A. I have always experimented with my art form to address social issues. Be it the meaninglessness of violence, female foeticide, inclusive society, Gandhian values, tribal rights – my dance has always tried to show the mirror to the society. I have lost 10 years of the mainstream looking at me strangely… that is the price you pay if you do things from your heart. I believe dance or art should spark a discourse. True art speaks to you, it is much beyond the make-up, costume and ornaments. That is why we are re-moulding and re-crafting programmes for our audiences.

Earlier, the Indian art, especially its dance forms, was hailed by even the political class of the country. But today, I do not think there is a single politician who has the patience to sit through a classical dance performance. I do not blame them because we are not celebrating excellence. We are propagating mediocrity.

Q. Do you think artists should respond to the politics of the day? Today, we see a set of artists aligning with the ruling government and parroting their ideas, while the other set being trolled for speaking their minds.

A. None of us has stopped speaking our minds, but we do not go hammer and tongs about it. We are neither hitting the streets with candlelight vigils nor becoming revolutionaries. I feel art should be in a neutral space. The artists commenting on crucial social matters should be personal, not a compulsion. I should be in a position to call a spade a spade, that is my right as an individual and artist. But the moment I align, I will lose that right. It is more important to be socially responsible rather than being political.

Q. What are your current and upcoming projects?

A. I am teaming up with WISCOMP again for ‘HER VOICE 2’ project after 25 years. In the earlier collaboration in 2000, I had teamed up with puppeteer Anurupa Roy on the theme of war and the mythological character Droupadi. I will be heading to the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa. I will also be performing in Chennai and attending a three-day workshop for established dancers in Kolkata this year.

Q. You were awarded with the Nritya Choodamani title recently. How important is recognition for performing artists?

A. The Nritya Choodamani award is special because it is coming from Chennai. My base is Delhi and north India, and I go to the southern city on invitations so the recognition came as a pleasant surprise. For artists, awards bring a lot of responsibility. It is not easy to get an award and still be relevant and inspiring for the young. It is a challenge for every senior artist.

Q. What is your comment on the way we are supporting our artists, especially those struggling financially?

A. The larger issue is how to support an artist through the gestation period. There are no easy answers as no one comes forward to help — be it the corporates or the government. Contrast it with sports, players are supported throughout the gestation period because they bring medals and a lot of money– success is tangible here. On the other hand, artists do not get medals, what they bring to the table is something intangible, but intangible is what sustains the society, it gives character and roots to your kids.

We have had award-winning sports persons sitting in Rajya Sabha without opening their mouths for five years. But the government is silent on artists who are struggling to make ends meet.

Q. What changes do you see when you perform abroad or visit small towns of India when it comes to teaching and learning arts?

A. In foreign countries, the audience has the discipline to watch a performance which we lack here. The Indian audience is usually distracted. I recently interacted with young dancers in Kerala. Although I found them quite technically sound, they lacked the world view or the visual vocabulary, which is crucial for an evocative performance. Here is where a Guru steps in, we need to learn to differentiate between the amateur and the professional. Unfortunately, everyone is a ‘swayambhu’ (know it all) these days.