Chitra Viswesaran

Chitra

Chitra viswesaran, a bharathanatyam dancer, transcends technique and liberates herself from the rigidity of grammar-be it as dancer,teacher choreographer or researcher.Her cerebral curiosity, aesthetic vision and spiritual quest give the form her individual signature. Though Chitra Visweswaran’s formal training in dance began with Western Classical Ballet in London at the age of five, her first Guru, at the age of three, was actually her mother, Smt. Rukmini Padmanabhan, who was an excellent dancer trained in the Uday Shankar School of dance and Bharatanatyam. It is to her that Chitra owes her artistic and creative vision . To this was harnessed an insatiable intellectual and cerebral quest which she owes to her ther, Sri. N. Padmanabhan, a brilliant Engineer. After initiation into dance by her mother, Chitra undertook training in Western Classical Ballet in London, which was followed by training in Manipuri and Kathak in Calcutta . At the age of ten, she went under the tutelage of one of the best devadasis of Tiruvidaimardur , Smt.T.A Rajalakshmi, who was settled in Calcutta. Her Arangetram (first maiden performance) took place with ten months, an astonishingly short period to achieve the degree of proficiency that Chitra did.

She continued her Bharatanatyam training in Kolkata and in parallel, studied

Chitra

the Uday Shankar School of dance. Her youth spent at Kolkata was studded with frequent, laudable, noteworthy stage appearances. Not confining herself to the physical aspect of dancing alone, Chitra, taking full advantage of the frequent closures of Calcutta University studied dance theory, dance history, philosophy and world religion entirely on her own and subsequently became deeply involved in interdisciplinary search and research. In 1970, on completion of B.A. (Hons.) in English from Calcutta University, she received the National Scholarship for advanced study in Bharatanatyam from the Government of India, at a time when only two scholarships were awarded throughout the country. She spent her scholarship period of four years under the doyen of Bharatanatyam, Vazhuvoor Ramaiyya Pillai, at Chennai. Her experience as his sishya widened her aesthetic vision even as her earlier Gurus’ training gave her excellent grammar and technique. On completion of her scholarship, Chitra started working on her own, bringing together the gift from her Gurus and her knowledge of the cognate forms of arts, harnessing to it a scholastic approach and holistic vision in order to develop a wholly individualistic philosophy of movement and language of communication. Her repertoire which is vast and unique is born of intense research at all levels of interpretation.

Chitra Visweswaran as Dancer , Researcher &  Choreographer

Chitra’s first piece of choreography was at the age of eleven. At thirteen, she choreographed the life of Saint Thyagaraja in the Varnam format. Opening numbers, jathiswarams, varnams, padams, thillanas and short thematic presentations rapidly followed. Her skill as a group choreographer came to light with her first major dance drama “Devi Ashta Rasa Malika” which took Madras by storm, in 1980.Several solo thematic, dance drama and dance theatre productions followed.

Solo Thematic Presentations

* Krishnanjali
* Purandara Krishnamritham
* Sadaa Venkatesam Smarami
* Sivarpanam
* Om Sakthi
* Sapta Sapti
* Sthree Shakthi
* Vishwam Vishnumayam
* Naveena Niruparana
* Sri Arunachala Ramana
* Sri Venkatakavi Bhakti Manjari
* Siva Ganamruta Vaibhavam
* Sarasa Vasantham

Dance Drama/Dance theatre

* Devi Ashta Rasa Malik
* Thiruneelakantar
* Raghuvamsa Thilakam
* Ayothi Mannan
* Devaki Pulambal
* Dwarakanatham Bhaje
* Akshayadhara
* Jai Gange
* Maithreem Bhajatha
* Mary Magdelena
* Panchali
* Dasavatharam
* Nritya Srinkhala
* Shakti Prabhavam
* Pravaaha
* Sneha I(based on human values)
* Sneha II(revolving around environmental issues)
* Sneha III(the success story of a child who is a cancer survivor)
* Sneha IV(based on Gandhiji’s doctrines of Ahimsa, Harijan upliftment
and selfless love for ones country)
* Sneha V (based on the teachings of Maha Swami of the Kanchi Kamakoti
Peeta advocating peace and harmony)
* Agastiyar
* Guru Mahima
* Shanmukha Vaibhavam

Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts

Her institution CAPA has grown extensively and has satellite institutions all over the world headed by present and past students. In order to maintain exclusive quality, admission is highly selective and restricted. The holistic approach of CAPA has led to several national and international scholarships and fellowships being awarded to its students. Here dance, music, nattuvangam, theory, stagecraft, lighting, teaching methodology, philosophy of movement and a deep study of the cognate art forms is stressed upon. Besides drawing great joy of sharing her knowledge with all those who desire it, Chitra now has an added motive in her life – to collect funds for RASA, an institution using creative dance and music therapy for special children with learning disabilities.

Chitra’s husband, Sri R.Visweswaran, nephew of the legendary Carnatic musician, G.N Balasubramaniam is a vocalist, instrumentalist and composer and has a long experience of working in the genre of film music. He plays the Kashmir Santoor, veena and is a self-taught Flamenco guitarist. His knowledge and experience come together in composing and directing great music for Chitra’s solo work and group productions, for which he also lends his voice. Together they are considered a contributive force to be reckoned with in the field of Classical Indian Dance. Chitra and Visweswaran celebrated the 25th anniversary of CAPA in 2000.

Awards

Padma Shri Award
Kalaimamani
Nrityachoodamani
Nritya Vilas
Natya Padmam
Natya kala sarathy
Nrithya Kala Siromani
Nritya Ratna
Stree Ratna Award

Amongst several other titles and awards from national and international cultural associations all over India.

Contact

10  Sri Labdi Colony,
Alwarpet,
Chennai – 600 018
Telefax : 91 44 499 2566,
Telephone : 91 44 499 0036
email : chitra@chitra-visweswaran.com