Smt. Rajee Narayanan

🪔 About

Born on August 19, 1931, in Chennai, Smt. Rajee Narayanan was the eleventh child of Sri S. Narayana Iyer and Smt. Gangammal, growing up in a family deeply immersed in fine arts. Her father was a Vedic scholar, film producer, and the first representative of The Gramophone Company of India (HMV) from South India, while her mother was a renowned Carnatic singer. Rajee began learning Bharatanatyam at age five from her elder sister, Neela Balasubramaniam (founder of Nataraja Natya Niketan), and K. Lalitha of Saraswathy Gana Nilayam. She had her Bharatanatyam Arangetram at age nine. She also started Carnatic music training at age seven from her sister Sulochana and debuted as a Carnatic vocalist at fourteen. At four and a half, she recorded a Telugu composition for HMV and later acted and sang in her father's films. During World War II, she performed for various fund-raising programs for the Indian Red Cross Society and wounded soldiers. After marrying in 1950, she began teaching dance and music as a hobby in Madurai. In 1965, she moved to Mumbai and founded her dance institution, Nritya Geethanjali. Rajee Narayanan was a rare combination of Bharatanatyam guru, musician, composer, and choreographer, known for teaching Bharatanatyam, Carnatic Music, Natyasastra, and Nattuvangam. She was one of the few women Vaggeyakara-s of her century, composing over 200 songs exclusively for Bharatanatyam, published in her books Nritya Geeta Mala (two volumes). She also authored Natya Sastra Mala and Sangeeta Shastra Mala. Her unique style, known as "Rajee-bani" or "Rajee Paddhati," blended Thanjavur and Pandanallur traditions, characterized by distinctive choreography, symmetrical jatis, and expressive abhinaya. She served on the board of the University of Mumbai for over two decades as an external examiner for Fine Arts degrees. Guru Rajee Narayanan passed away on September 25, 2020, at the age of 89. Awards & Honours: Kalavani (for Music) (1945), Natya Nipuni (1945), Natya Tilakam (1963), Shreshta Kala Acharya (for Nritya) (1976), Silver plaque commemorating 25 years as a guru (1977), Natana Kala Bhushanam (1981), Shreshta Kala Acharya (for Nritya) (1986), Lalitha Kala Ratnam (1993), Rajya Sanskritik Puraskar (Nritya) / Lifetime Achievement Award for Dance (1996), Nritya Kala Sudhakara (1996), Lalitha Kala Ratna (1999), Sanmargadarshi (2001), Swar Sadhna Ratna (2006), Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi Best Teacher of the Year Award (2006), Sangeetha Sikshamani (2010).