Bharatanatyam artist C.V. Chandrasekhar. | Photo courtesy: S.R. Raghunathan
Educationist, dancer, musician, choreographer and mentor – C.V. Chandrasekhar (fondly called C.V.C. or Chandru) Anna) handled all this in his own way. He was an artist whom the entire dance world looked up to. When it came to art practice, he did not make any kind of compromise. His life was full of artistic values. The 89-year-old dancer passed away this morning.
Born on May 22, 1935 in Shimla, CV Chandrasekhar was introduced to Carnatic music at an early age. His formal education in music began at Kalakshetra in 1945. Though he was sent there to learn music from TK Ramaswamy Iyengar and Budalur Krishnamurthy Sastry, Rukmini Devi wanted him to train in Bharatanatyam as well. Known for his impeccable technique and nuanced acting, CVC attributed his long journey in the performing arts to the careful training given by gurus S Sarada, Vasantha and Sarada Hoffman at Kalakshetra. Even before his Arangetram in 1950, he had become an integral part of the famous Kalakshetra dance dramas. “The first role I played was that of a Kattiyakkaran in ‘Kuttrala Kuravanji’,” he recalled during an interview Hindu,
C.V. Chandrasekhar performing in Mangaluru on November 30, 2013. | Photo courtesy: HS Manjunath
After his schooling, college and dance training in Chennai, CVC did his post-graduation in Botany from Banaras Hindu University. He married Jaya, a lawyer and trained dancer, in 1962. He spent nearly two decades teaching dance at BHU. His daughters Chitra Dasharathi and Manjari Rajendra Kumar are also trained Bharatanatyam dancers. CVC’s notable dance performances include Kalidasa’s ‘Ritu Sanharam’ and ‘Meghadutam’, ‘Aparajita’, ‘Pancha Mahabhootam’, ‘Aarohanam’, ‘Bhoomija’ and ‘Bhramarageet’.
In 1980, CVC became the head of the performing arts department at MS University in Baroda, the only university to offer courses in classical dance at the time. A recipient of several awards, including the Padma Bhushan, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the Kalidas Samman, the Sangeet Kala Acharya from the Music Academy and the Nritya Choodamani from the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, CV Chandrasekhar’s success as a solo artist paved the way for other male Bharatanatyam enthusiasts to take up the art form.
