Ragini Chandershekar

Ragini Chandershekar ranks amongst the finest Bharatanatyam dancers of her generation. Her beauty, grace, creativity and perfection of execution have enabled her to carve a coveted niche for herself as a brilliant Bharatanatyam soloist. While her ‘nritta’ (pure dance) sparkles with the kinetics of movement, her ‘abhinaya’ (art of expression) flows into the subtle spaces within.

Training

Trained in Bharatanatyam by her mother Guru Jamuna Krishnan and by Late Guru K.J. Govindarajan, Ragini’s advanced training in the art form has been under the tutelage of Late Kalaimamani Guru K.N. Dakshinamoorthy Pillai, Late Padmabhushan Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan and Late Smt. Usha Srinivasan of Chennai.

An accomplished singer, she is trained in Carnatic Music by Late Vidwan Sri.S.Gopalakrishnan, retired Chief Conductor of the All India Radio Orchestra, whose disciple she was for over 15 years. She was also a disciple of Late Vidwan Karaikudi K. Shivakumar, under whose tutelage Ragini was working on perfecting her ‘nritta’ skills. Her deep understanding of music and its nuances lend her dance a rare performance quality, where the twin forms of dance and music seamlessly coalesce. Ragini is also trained in Nattuvangam and conducts performances by other dancers and colleagues. Equipped with her superlative training, her dance glows with the rare magic of adherence to the classical idiom.

Performance Career

Equipped with her superlative training in Bharatanatyam, her art reflects her own unique sensibilities. With a performance career of over 30 years, Ragini has performed at several prestigious festivals, both at home and abroad, winning critical acclaim from connoisseurs and critics for her impeccably pristine and aesthetic presentations. Yuva Mahotsava of the Sahitya Kala Parishad New Delhi, The Urban Gateways of Chicago - Illinois, The Sangeet Natak Akademi Swarnotsav Festival at Ahmedabad to celebrate the completion of 50 years of Indian Independence in 2000, the inaugural performance at the 41st Art & Pongal Festival of the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha - Chennai, Jayadev Nrutya Samaroh - Bhubaneshwar, Ekamra Dance Festival - Bhubaneshwar, 2 consecutive nights at the world - renowned Musee Guimet Auditorium in Paris, the Carnatique Nuits Festival in Paris where her performance was the only dance presentation, Tarpan Festival commemorating 75 years

of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya New Delhi, Music Academy Dance Festival Chennai, Upanishad Bharatham for the Natyarangam Thematic Festival at Narada Gana Sabha Chennai, Khajuraho Dance Festival, The Asia Festival in Madrid and Casa Asia in Barcelona, performances in Los Angeles, Palma Mallorca, San Francisco, New York, Montreal and Toronto are some of the leading forums where she has performed.

She has also been a regular performer at Mandapa, one of the most well established art institutions in Paris. She has been the youngest performer to be invited by a theatre research organization, ARTA in Paris to conduct month - long dance workshops in 2001 and 2003.

She is a senior empanelled artiste with the ICCR, and has extensively toured Turkey and China under their auspices. In 2006, Ragini performed in the Asia Festival at Barcelona and Madrid after she was awarded the Premi Antoni de Montserrart 2006 scholarship of Department de Programmes Educatius, Casa Asia, Barcelona. In October 2007, Ragini was invited by “Fundacio La Caixa”, one of the premier cultural institutions of Spain to perform for their extravaganza “Sculptures in the Indian temples”, featuring presentations in film, music, painting and dance related to Indian sculpture. In March 2010, Ragini collaborated with Marie Pierre Trauden Hill, an artist from Luxembourg in a unique art - dance - music – film project “Curriculart Meets India”. This mega production, sponsored by the Embassy of Luxembourg in New Delhi was featured as part of the Francophonie week at the Alliance Francaise, New Delhi. The film, made on Ragini’s choreographic interpretation of the theme “Cycle of Life” was screened during the Francophonie week and drew rave response. In 2017, Ragini performed at the highly prestigious Kartik Purnima Festival organised by the Maharana Mewar Foundation in Udaipur.

Ragini has also performed the leading role in a student film makers’ project “Swayam”, dealing with questions on self - identity that won critical acclaim at festivals worldwide.

Choreographies

A strong traditionalist, Ragini’s dance reflects her beliefs in the stunning classicism of Bharatanatyam. While she enjoys performing the traditional ‘margam’ (repertoire), she also enjoys the process of using the Bharatanatyam dance vocabulary to create and present contemporary themes. Her artistic collaboration with Marie - Trauden - Hill, an artiste based in Luxembourg highlighted this. In March 2010, Ragini presented a new choreography “Cycle of Life” that chose to highlight the human cycle of birth and death through the dandelion flower. A film made on Ragini’s choreographic process was screened at the Alliance Francaise, New Delhi during the Francophonie Week and drew rave response.

In 2014, Ragini was invited by the Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai to perform in their thematic dance series, Upanishad Bharatham - featuring 6 senior Bharatanatyam soloists exploring the complex philosophy of the Upanishads. With riveting music by noted musician and composer, Vidwan Sri. Rajkumar Bharathi, Ragini’s stunning choreography on the theme won critical acclaim. Ragini is also fortunate to be deeply involved with her mother, renowned dancer - scholar - choreographer and guru Smt. Jamuna Krishnan on all her research projects of North Indian Bhakti and Sringara poets. Exposed to exquisite poetry and interpretations since she was a child, her sensibilities reflect this vast learning in her dance. Her individual repertoire is immensely wide and varied, including rare gems of compositions culled from the traditional and contemporary poetic pool.

Awards

In recognition of her brilliant talent as a young performing artiste, she was awarded the Gold Medal by the Vipanchee Trust of Chennai
In January 2002, she danced in the Pongal Dance Festival organized by the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai and was awarded the ‘Lakshmi Viswanathan Endowment Award’ for her outstanding performance
In 2009, she was conferred with the highly prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi and the title of “Yuva Kala Bharati” by Bharat Kalachar in Chennai in 2010
She was also conferred with the Jayadeva Nrutya Pratibha Puraskar by the National Cultural Mission and the Government of Odish
In 2017, Ragini was conferred with the prestigious IIDF award for Bharatnatyam

Teaching

In addition to being a celebrated dancer, Ragini has been teaching Bharatanatyam at Kalangan Centre for Classical Arts for several years. Her patience, creativity and ebullience make her a favourite amongst her young students. She trains students diligently, honing their learning as well as performing skills. A Post - Graduate in English Literature from Lady Shriram College for Women, Ragini also holds a Post Graduate Degree in Public Relations and Advertising.

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