A male voice in Bharatanatyam: G. Narendra’s story

“What does the award mean to you?” Narendra did seem amused by my query. But he was not surprised and went on to explain all about awards and what they meant to him.

On December 12, 2025, the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha will confer the Nrithya Choodamani title upon him. “My first response was tears,” he said. The tears, he added, were for his late father, who had watched him at every step of his artistic journey, and believed in him when the world did not.

Narendra spoke of his journey as a male dancer, and his influences such as V.P. Dhananjayan and Sharada Hoffman (Chinna Sharada). VPD was one of the first male dancers he had watched as a child in Mysore. Of Sharada Hoffman, he says that it was her philosophy towards life that hugely inspired him. It was she who encouraged him to think, question, analyse and reason things out. It was because of her that he was able to judge the merit of every situation and event and weigh its deeper meaning.

Like many artistes, Narendra too sought fame, success, awards and recognition. But he was soon disillusioned, because male dancers did not get the opportunities that they should. His alma mater Kalakshetra (where teachers such as Prof. Janardhanan and Krishnaveni Lakshmanan taught and inspired him) provided several opportunities but they were essentially for group productions. Narendra longed to take his solo flights. It was here that he faced the challenge. He braved several hurdles and the lack of solo opportunities soon saw him resign himself to accepting the reality, but never one to give up, he continued practicing with rigour every single day choosing alternative venues such as the temple premises to showcase his art.

Sharada Hoffman inspired him to keep pursuing his passion.
| Photo Credit:
Ramanathan Iyer

So when he was invited to perform at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha after a gap of 30 years, and soon thereafter was chosen as the recipient of the Nrithya Choodamani award, he was naturally suprised, but truly delighted.

When Narendra shared the news of his award with Sharada Hoffman, she asked him: ”What does this mean to you?” I then realised why my question had amused Narendra. That made him think. After all, it was she who had guided him to look within, and not seek external validation.

The 60-year-old dancer spoke of his long innings in the art, of the trials and tribulations, of the several disappointments and how it was his fitness regimen, his love for cricket and his sadhana in dance each day that really kept him going. He created new works without knowing when and where they would be staged. But he kept at it, because that was the only thing he knew. He knew well that the chances of landing a programme were bleak, an award, bleaker.

G. Narendra accepts criticism from close confidantes but prefer to self-analyse the day’s performance.
| Photo Credit:
Ramanathan Iyer

Once, when he prepared for a margam, the singer suddenly dropped out of the act. It seemed like a catastrophe, but a colleague said he could use her musician. “That prepared me to get ready with not one but a handful of margam pieces just so that I am not taken by surprise”.

Narendra said that while he did accept criticism from close confidantes, he more often than not preferred to analyse thread-bare the day’s performance. He was often harsh on himself because he felt that his close ones could perhaps be biased and yet if there was a difference of opinion, he was ready to walk through the path for a discussion and it was this that had helped his growth as an artiste.

Founder-director of his dance company, Avigna Dance Ensemble that he established in 1995, he shared: “I tell my students to balance their career with their art. There is very little money in art and the struggle is very real. So, each year, my students and I perform at the Karuneeshwarar Temple in Mylapore, where one does not need any recommendation to perform and everyone dances to his /her best ability.”

It’s tragic that few understand the struggles of the artiste and what one sees on stage is the two-hour performance that hides the many hours of sweat. I understood the angst of the artiste, which was not a lone voice, but an echo of several voices one hears through the Season. It is also the story of everyone whose work will be judged, whether on screen, stage, or canvas.

As Narendra gets ready to receive the award, there is a sense of relief that an artiste has got his due.