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❖ Guru Parampara ❖
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Guru Smt. Rajee Narayan (born August 19, 1931, in Chennai, British Raj; died September 25, 2020, in Gurgaon, New Delhi, India) was a distinguished Bharatanatyam dancer, musician, composer, and choreographer. She was the eleventh child of S. Narayana Iyer and Gangammal, growing up in an environment rich in fine arts. Rajee Narayan began her Bharatanatyam…
Journey Timeline
1931
Born in Chennai
1935
Commercially recorded composition 'Neraminchakura' — At age 4.5
1936
Began learning Bharatanatyam — At age 5
1937-1938
Began acting and singing in father's movies
1940
Bharatanatyam Arangetram — At age 9
1943
Began assisting her sister Neela in teaching Bharatanatyam — At age 12
1945
First solo public performance of vocal Carnatic music — At age 14
1945
Received Kalavani (for Music) award
1950
Married and began teaching dance and music as a hobby in Madurai
1952
Became a popular voice over AIR, Trichi station
1965
Settled in Mumbai and established Nritya Geethanjali
1977
Began teaching Nattuvangam and completed 25 years of service to dance and music
1982
Approached for government commissioned documentary "Atom For Peace"
1985
Released first book of Bharatanatyam songs, "Nritya Geeta Mala"
1990
Silver Jubilee of Nritya Geethanjali celebrated
1998
Received Rajya Sanskrutik Puraskar (Nritya) (Lifetime Achievement Award) from Government of Maharashtra
1998
Presented dance-drama "Manisha Panchakam"
2011
Received Tagore Akademi Puraskar from Sangeet Natak Akademi
2020
Passed away
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Awards & Honors
- 1945 · Kalavani (for Music) — HMV
- 1954 · Kalavani
- 1963 · Natya Tilakam
- 1976 · Shreshta Kala Acharya — Government of Madhya Pradesh & Madhuban
- 1977 · Silver Plaque (for 25 years as a guru) — Sri Murli Deora, Mayor of Mumbai
- 1981 · Natana Kala Bhushanam — Shakti Arts, Chennai
- 1983 · Felicitated for meritorious service to fine arts — Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Chennai
- 1986 · Shreshta Kala Acharya for Nritya — Madhuban and Madhya Pradesh government
- 1993 · Lalitha Kala Ratnam
- 1996 · Rajya Sanskrutik Puraskar (Nritya) (Lifetime Achievement Award) — Government of Maharashtra
- Nritya Kala Sudhakara — The Music Triangle, Mumbai
- 1999 · Felicitated during Bharatam Festival — Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai
- 1999 · Lalitha Kala Ratna — Saraswathi Gana Nilayam
- 2001 · Sanmargadarshi — Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam (at Nrithyodaya Silver Jubilee)
- 2006 · Swar Sadhna Ratna — Swar Sadhna Samiti, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai
Media Coverage
- An ode to a dance legend
Mid-day
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