Geeta Chandran

She has worked in television, video, film, theatre, choreography, dance education, dance activism, and dance-issue journalism.

She is founder and president of Natya-Vriksha and the artistic director of the Natya Vriksha Dance Company. In August 2016, she presented the fortieth arangetram performance by her disciples.

Chandran is the author of So Many Journeys, a collection of her writings that narrate her engagement with Bharatanatyam. Chandran is celebrated for her understanding of the art of Bharatanatyam and for her Carnatic music. She writes a dance column in The New Indian Express / Sunday Standard.

Chandran recently completed 40 years in dance following her arangetram in 1974. Natya Vriksha celebrates its Silver Jubilee in 2016.

The Government of India awarded Chandran the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2007, for her contributions to the field of art.[1]

Geeta Chandran has been conferred the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Puruskar for Bharatanatyam for the year 2016.[2]

In recognition of her vast and varied contribution to Bharatanatyam, Geeta was awarded the prestigious national award

-"The Padmashri " By the President of India in 2007. -"Top Grade" granted by Doordarshan (June 2004). -"Outstanding Artist" status granted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) (Sept. 2005).

-STREE SAMMAN: South Delhi Youth Congress honour to distinguished women achievers who had contributed to helping others and initiated social change. (9 December 2010 in New Delhi)

-KALASAGAR AWARD 2010: Award bestowed by Cultural Organization Kalasagar for Excellence in Bharatanatyam (28 May 2010, at Kerala Kalamandalam, Thrisshur)

-SALZBURG GLOBAL SEMINAR invitation to participate in Conference "Performing Arts in Lean Times", 21–25 February 2010, in Austria.

-DR. SADHANA INTERNATIONAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AWARD2010 (Award ceremony on 21 February 2010)

-SARASWATI PURUSKAAR 2010 bestowed by the Kailash Mutt Trust of Nasik, Maharashtra (ceremony on 18 January 2010)

-TEN DYNAMIC WOMEN DANCERS OF THE WORLD, a book by Canadian author Anne Dublin put Geeta Chandran’s contribution to Indian dance in the league of all-time world greats like Anna Pavlova (May 2009)

-GOVERNMENT OF INDIA NOMINEE on GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE CENTARL SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI. (Five years, beginning June 2009)

-MEMBER, ACADEMIC COUNCIL, Benares Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (For 3 years, beginning May 2009)

-MEMBER, ACADEMIC COUNCIL, Bhatkande Sangeeet Sansthan (University), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (May 2009)

-LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, conferred on 31 March 2009 by the World Congress of Women, to acknowledge sustained commitment to gender issues through classical dance.

-KISHORE KUMAR KALA RATNA Award, conferred on 26 December 2008 by the Kishore Kumar Memorial Club of Delhi, and presented by Mr. J.P. Agarwal, President, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.

-KARAMVEER PURUSKAAR 2008 (National Award for Social Justice and Citizen Action) awarded by i-CONGO (Indian Confederation of NGOs) and the Khemka Foundation, for her advocacy through classical dance to further social action and citizen justice. (26 November 2008)

-MERI DILLI AWARD: Conferred by NNS Media Group (6 September 2008)

-GLOBAL LEADER : Bharatanatyam Dancer/Choreographer Geeta Chandran, Founder-President, Natya Vriksha, was selected as a Helmut Schmidt Fellow from India to participate in a "Young Leaders Forum" being convened in Stockholm, Sweden, 23–28 June 2008.

-The Young Leaders Forum is a new initiative of the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government (Current Chair: Ingvar Carlsson, Former Prime Minister of Sweden) which was founded in 1983 to address long-term global problems facing humankind. Now, after a quarter century, the Council has decided to groom a young generation of world leaders by organizing a Young Leaders Forum in conjunction with its upcoming 26th annual meeting.

The Young Leaders Forum will catalyze a network of international colleagues from diverse countries and professions and disseminate the values important to the Council; peace and disarmament, economic revitalization and development, and the nexus of universal ethical issues.

Geeta Chandran was the only Indian in the Young Leaders Forum, and the only artist in this network of 21 Young Leaders selected from around the world.

-BOARD MEMBER, CENTRAL BOARD OF FILM CERTIFICATION (CENSOR BOARD): Nominated for 3 years beginning 2008. BOARD MEMBER OF KAMLA NEHRU COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI: Nominated for 3 years beginning 2008.

-CHITRA KALA SANGAM ANNUAL AWARD 2008

-NATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD: Presented by the T. P. Jhunjhunwala Foundation for overall contribution to Art and Culture, the award was presented by Justice R.C. Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India, and Mr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, legal luminary and Spokesman, Congress Party. (25 January 2008)

-WOMEN ACHIEVERS AWARD: Presented by the Cancer Patients Aid Association of India (5 October 2007, presented by Mrs. Sushma Swaraj and Shri. Shatrughan Sinha)

-SOCIAL JUSTICE MEDAL bestowed by the Chief Justice of India, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, on behalf of the Institute for Gender Justice in collaboration with the National Legal Services Authority, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, 8 March 2007.

-SHAKTI HONOUR bestowed by Kala Kunj, a cultural NGO, June 2006

-DELHI RATTAN AWARD conferred by the Art and Culture Trust of India, May 2006. The award was bestows by Smt. Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

-ROTARY INTERNATIONAL’s PRATIBHA AWARD, February 2006

-LSR ALUMNA AWARD, March 2005. This prestigious honour was presented by alma mater Lady Shri Ram College in its Golden Jubilee Year.

-ADJUNCT PROFESSOR at Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) Pilani, Rajasthan (2004-2006)

-SWASTHYA CHETNA RATNA awarded by the Heart Care Foundation of India for contribution to health awareness in society (October 2003)

-SENIOR FELLOWSHIP (two years) from Department of Culture, Government of India (2003). The fellowship was granted to pursue research and integrate compositions of the Haveli Sangeet tradition of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan into the Bharatanatyam repertoire.

-ACHIEVERS of the MILLENIUM AWARD (2001)

-DANDAYUDHAPANI PILLAI AWARD for Bharatnatayam (13 July 2001)

-BHARAT NIRMAN AWARD on the occasion of International Women's Day, for significant contribution to classical dance (8 March 2001)

-SCHOLAR OF PEACE FELLOWSHIP awarded by WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace) of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama (2000)

-GREEN AMBASSADOR AWARD bestowed by Artists for Empowerment, an NGO, on World Environment Day (5 June 2000)

-NATYA ILAVARASI bestowed by the Sree Shanmukhananda Sabha Sangeetha Sabha, New Delhi (February 1999)

-INDIRA PRIYADARSHINI AWARD bestowed by the All India National Unity Conference (May 1998)

-MEDIA INDIA AWARD bestowed by Media India Foundation (November 1997)

-NATIONAL CRITICS AWARD bestowed by the Critics Circle, Calcutta (1997)

-JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP (two years), by Department of Culture, Govt. of India (1993). The fellowship was to pursue research in vachika abhinaya.

-SRINGAR MANI bestowed by the Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai (1980)

-NATYA RATNA on graduating from the Bharata Natya Academy, New Delhi (1974)

http://geetachandran.in/Awards.aspx