A teaching career spanning over 50 years and a humungous student database — that is what Girija Chandran holds close to her heart. Girija Teacher, to the classical dance community of Thiruvananthapuram, is days away from receiving the Sangeeth Natak Akademi Award 2025 for her contributions in Mohiniyattam, and the veteran guru is ecstatic.“I am proud about keeping myself busy at 75,” says Girija, when we meet at her dance school, Regatta Natya Sangeetha Kendra, which will turn 54 this December.“I have never applied for any award. But this time I had to succumb to the pressure of my well-wishers, students and family. I was told that it was the procedure and I needn’t feel embarrassed about it,” she says.
Girija Chandran during a training session at her dance school
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She adds that the award is special on many accounts. “One is that, 66 years ago my grandfather’s brother CI Parameswaran Pillai had received this award for drama.” She adds, “I am grateful to the Ministry of Culture, Sandhya Purecha, chairman of the Akademi, and Raju Das, secretary, for this recognition.”For those unfamiliar with her journey, it might sound strange that she has never performed on stage. The first and last time she was on stage as a classical dancer was for her arangettam (dance debut), when she was seven. “My conservative family was not appreciative of girls/women performing on stage. I was part of group performances while pursuing my studies at Government College for Women and later at our alumni meet. Other than that I have not done a solo performance. But they always encouraged me to learn as much I could.”After initial training in Thiruvananthapuram from gurus such as Kalakshetra Bhaskar, Indira Bayi Thankachi and Sucheendram MM Pillai, she moved to Chennai in 1976 with her sister, Geetha. There she learnt Bharatanatyam from Vazhuvoor Ramayya Pillai for three years and later from Adyar K Lakshman, a prominent name in Kalakshetra style. She also used to accompany her sister to Kuchipudi classes at Vempati Chinna Satyam’s academy. “Although I didn’t learn Kuchipudi, I sat in the class watching her learn. Meanwhile, whenever I came home during breaks, I would teach at Regatta.”It was around this time [1972] that her father R Sivasankara Pillai, who had a typewriting institute, started Regatta Cultural Society. It trained women in various trades, besides running a nursery school and conducting classes in music and dance. Girija used to teach non-classical and folk dance there. As years passed by, except for dance, all classes got discontinued.
