Gundu Rao Narendra

Premiering 'Bhaandhavyam' - a project very dear to me with a personal connect!

Do join us

Exhilarating performances by Sutra, G Narendra and Anandita Narayanan
- Leela Venkataraman
https://narthaki.com/info/taalam/taalam212.html

Sharada Teacher...

The first thing that comes to everyone's mind when we hear her name? Her smile, her perfect vocabulary with an accent, her discipline, perfection, and of course... corrections.

As students, there was always a bit of fear. But the kind that pushes you to become better. The kind that brings out your best.

The results speak for themselves — most of the best dancers, many of the most celebrated names from Kalakshetra, were trained by her. She was the most unbiased, impartial teacher one could ever ask for. No one could influence her; she only cared about one thing: how good you truly were.

She was always impeccably dressed — perfectly draped, elegant, and composed. And always on time to class. But never finished on time. Lunch breaks were often the price we paid for precision — classes would run over, stretching into lunchtime, but not one of us dared to complain. Deep down, we knew — it was worth every extra minute.

At an early age, she gave up all her lead roles on stage — handing them over to her students and the next generation. No hesitation, no drama, no holding on. Just a quiet, graceful decision to step aside so others could rise. That kind of generosity is rare, and it showed what she valued most- not personal spotlight, but the growth of the art form and her students.

Recently, she called to congratulate me on receiving the Nrityachoodamani award. Not many have that grace — to reach out like that. Even over the phone, I could imagine her expression when she gently corrected me: “Don’t speak too loud.” Still the teacher! She also asked me what the award meant to me... and honestly, I had no answer.

I remember in my first year, she would occasionally take adavu classes. I will never forget her demonstration of Garudamadalam. In fact, she once asked me to stand on her calf muscles during the demonstration. I hesitated. She insisted.

She chose me to play Murugan in her production Murugan Thiruvarul, ahead of some seniors. That meant the world to me — it meant she trusted me. Those rehearsals are etched in my memory — tough, intense, full of life lessons, and unforgettable moments.

Every evening, I would report to her house for one-on-one training. Even when the hostel dinner bell rang, she wouldn’t let me go. When I hesitantly said, “Teacher, dinner bell,” she replied, “How is it that I don’t hear it? That means you’re not concentrating!”

She never allowed idle gossip — it was always only about dance.
She had even blocked off a room in her house once — because she didn’t want to disturb a snake living there. That’s who she was — deeply disciplined, deeply respectful of all life.
Amongst ourselves, we used to joke: Even if Lord Nataraja appeared before her, she would have a hundred corrections for him!

Thank you for this beautiful gesture.

Wish to thank Krishna Gana Sabha for honoring me with the prestigious 'Nrithya Choodamani' award. Would like to thank each one of you who have expressed your happiness and wished me well on the social media platform. Thank you to all those who have taken time to call and congratulate me. I will cherish this moment and continue with integrity towards the art that I have anyways practiced. Instead of an emocon/emoji I thought I should write a note to thank each one of you. Feeling grateful and thankful 🙏

Grateful!

Krishna Gana Sabha is proud to confer the award, Nrithya Choodamani on Vidwan Sri G Narendra. Vidwan Sri G Narendra needs no introduction in the field of Bharathanatyam. Founder-Director of Avigna Dance Ensemble in Chennai, he is trained at the Kalakshetra Foundation where he completed his Post Diploma in Bharathanatyam. He has played several lead roles as part of the Kalakshetra dance dramas. He has worked as a Faculty at the Bharathakalanjali established by the Dhananjayans and has toured North America as a lead dancer in Sita Rama Katha and Sangamitra of Bharathakalanjali. He has been a part of Leela Samson’s Spanda and has toured India and abroad extensively with them. He has choreographed and performed several productions in the capacity of Artistic Director of the Cleveland Cultural Alliance in USA which includes Abyaasa and The Living Tree. He was also commissioned to choreograph and perform Navarasa Ramayana by People's Association, Singapore at Esplanade. The awards ceremony will be held at the inauguration of the 69th Margazhi Mela on December 12, 2025 at Krishna Gana Sabha. #krishnaganasabha #kgs #choodamani #sangeetha #nrithya #awards #artistes #vidwan #vidushi #art #service #society #geetham #vadhyam #nrithyam #sabha #honour #privilege #margazhi #december #gnarendra #avigna