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An ode to a dance legend

Updated on: 18 August,2011 08:35 AM IST  | 
Soma Das |

On her 80th birthday, students of Bharatnatyam dancer and Carnatic singer, Guru Rajee Narayan, have organised a special Bharatnatyam performance. The Guide tells you her inspiring journey from 'Baby Rajee' to 'Guru Rajee'

An ode to a dance legend

On her 80th birthday, students of Bharatnatyam dancer and Carnatic singer, Guru Rajee Narayan, have organised a special Bharatnatyam performance. The Guide tells you her inspiring journey from 'Baby Rajee' to 'Guru Rajee'


Teaching has often been compared to gardening where you sow the seeds of inspiration and nurture the sapling with tender care. The metaphor is apt for Guru Rajee Narayan, founder-director of Nrithya Geethanjali dance institute. Guru Rajee turns 80 this Friday and her institute, which started in 1965 at Chembur with a handful of students, has spread its branches to the UAE, USA and New Zealand.


The Pinnal Kolattam dance

To mark the occasion, there will be a Bharatnatyam performance (featuring three of her compositions), which will be presented by 11 students. An audio-visual presentation featuring rare footage of Guru Rajee performing live, will also be screened, followed by a felicitation ceremony.

In the beginning...
As a seven-year-old, Baby Rajee started her career in the Tamil movie Sant Eknath (1937), where she sang her own songs. "It was my father's home production and there were 13 family members acting and singing in the film. It was unheard of during those times," reminisces Guru Rajee, who started learning Bharatnatyam at the age of five and Carnatic music by the age of seven, from her sisters.

"Initially, I performed for fund-raising events, to raise money for the Bengal famine victims or for the welfare of World War II soldiers. Belonging to a Tamil Brahmin family, singing and dancing was considered a hobby, not a profession," she adds. She also learned the basics of Kathak, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Waltz and Tap Dance as well as the theoretical aspect of Bharatnatyam. It was years later that she started Nrithya Geethanjali when her husband passed away and she shifted to Mumbai with her mother-in-law and son.

Guru Rajee soon became known for being a versatile singer, dancer, teacher, composer and a female Vaggeyakara (a composer of lyrics, who sets the music and sings during the dance performance). "I would go to bed with a torch, a notebook and pencil, so that if I thought up a composition in my sleep, I could immediately jot it down," she laughs.

She has 200 Carnatic compositions to her credit as well as several books and DVDs on music and dance.

Actresses such as Vidya Balan and Shilpa Shetty have also trained under her for a brief span of time. One of Nrithya Geethanjali's USPs became the training of Nattuvangam (the art of setting rhythm during a dance programme) and Pinnal Kolattam (a dance with ropes tied to a pole).

The tale of an atom
Ever thought of an atom and music in the same vein? Probably not, but Guru Rajee was approached for a government commissioned documentary -- Atom For Peace -- in 1982. She set the music and composed dance routines based on the five elements and the usefulness of atoms. "It's a challenge to present an abstract concept thorough dance but it was a great experience," she observes.

Guru Rajee admits to no longer being as fit as before. "My body is getting old but my love of the fine arts has kept me going, even at this age," she states matter-of-factly. Her students vouch for her dedication. "Once she teaches you, you are inspired for life. I came under her tutelage in the 1970s and have never left. She feels that art should be taught for free, so I am the one who ends up hounding students for fees," jokes Jaishree Rao, one of the senior students of Guru Rajee, who teaches and manages the institute.

The 60th birthday celebrations of Guru Rajee's son N Shyam Sundar, a trained dancer and Carnatic singer, will also be held on the same day. "My 80th birthday is not as important as my son turning 60. He battled great odds as he was born with a congenital heart disease and his birthday is a miracle," Guru Rajee humbly concludes.

On August 19, 6.45 pm onwards
At Bharat Ratna Dr MS Subbulakshmi Auditorium, Sion (W).



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