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Lifetime Arts Achievement Awards 2025 List

Lifetime Arts Achievement Awards 2025

Geetha Shankaran Lam

Biography

Geetha Shankaran Lam studied Bharatanatyam at the age of 10, from Guru Krishna Kumari of the infamous Kalakshetra Dance Academy. She was an exemplary student, and with dedicated commitment, won awards that drew the attention of fellow Malaysians on discipline, character building, fostering unity and empowerment. She was 16 and was in the process of preparing for her Solo Debut.

She was hand-picked to study Odissi by Padmashri Guru Ramli Ibrahim in 1985, and soon enough Geetha was chosen to partner Ramli Ibrahim at events and formed the pioneer group of Sutra Dance Theater’s growth. Geetha was the first disciple performing her solo debut in Bharatanatyam under Ramli in 1988. Prior to this Geetha along with 5 others, were recognized as the first Malaysian-trained Odissi dancers.

Geetha travelled to India to perform, study and took on mentorship, training younger students to step up into the world of performing arts. She continued to grow and went on to perform in Indonesia, Japan, Bali, Australia.

In 1992, upon invitation of Swami Shantanand of The Temple of Fine Arts, Geetha’s choreographed the Odissi scene in the internationally acclaimed Ramayana - the ASEAN confluence. She trained 11 senior students, and was offered a fulltime position as the Head of the Odissi of Department.

She went on to spearhead the artistic ventures and helped impart the glorious tradition of Odissi Dance through the Deba Prasad Das style. In 1994, Swamiji arranged for Geetha to meet the legendary Odissi Guru, Padmavibushan Kelucharan Mohapatra in his home in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, with the late Sanjukta Panigrahi, Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi, Babu Panigrahi, and Shri Ratikant Mohapatra. This new guru-sishya bond extended the knowledge and experiences in Odissi. Thus was the creation of a new syllabus at the Temple of Fine Arts International.

Odissi was spread from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, then Penang, Johor Bharu, Melaka, and later in Perth and Adelaide – Australia. In 1999, Geetha moved to live in Chennai and proceeded to teach Odissi there as well as in Coimbatore. Today, these students, many of whom are established performing artistes or gurus have each spread the valuable teachings and have had memories of good training.

In 2004, Geetha invited Guru Ramli Ibrahim along with gurus from Orissa to have an audience at the Temple of Fine Arts at which Swamiji was the proud host. The exchange was simply a historic one.

On March 4th 2004, Geetha was awarded the Guru Deba Prasad Samaroha Samman, bestowed by Odissi guru, Dr Gajendra Kumar Panda (Tridhara). The award was presented by Padmabushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, who was the Guest of Honour that evening in Bhubaneswar. The award to Geetha was in recognition for her service to Odissi Dance, spreading the Artform to countries in South East Asia.

On January 28th 2020, Geetha was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Indian High Commissioner, Shri Nirmal Kumar under the auspices of All India Dance Association (AIDA) Bhilai, India. On September 3rd 2022, Dr. Sri Ganesan Pillai of Sri Ganesalaya along with Kuchipudi Guru Shri Dr Sanjay Santharam (Shivapriya School of Dance, Bangaluru) and the honorable Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Shri BN Reddy presented Geetha for her continuous efforts to Dance in Malaysia.

In August of 2024, Geetha was invited to perform at the Guru Deba Prasad Paripuurnaa Nayika Nrutya Samaroha Festival in Bhubaneswar, Orissa at which she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for her services to Odissi Dance for 39 years bestowed by Bipanchi Das, the daughter and bloodline of the Odissi Master, Padmashri Guru Dr Deba Prasad Das. Geetha travelled with her daughter who also performed at the festival to showcase the lineage of a family in the Arts.

In May 2025, Geetha won the BOH Cameronian Award for Best Feature Performer for her 3-day full house performance of Samskara: Past Reflections, Present Expressions show.

In May 2025, Geetha was nominated alongside 7 other professionals to be a TEDXSunway KL University presenter to talk for 18 minutes on the theme of Carpe Diem: Why Don’t We? Inspiring the audience on her life chapters as a performing artiste in being a 2nd generation Indian born in Malaysia and being an influencer for countless youngsters and youths and the older generation too.

In July 2025, Geetha will receive another Lifetime Achievement Award from Sugam Carnatica for her contributions in in the field of performing arts in Malaysia.

Geetha regularly is selected to work with KAKISENI a Malaysian body of Arts inspired professionals working closely with NGOs and the Government in pursuit of education and self-empowerment for children and youths through performing arts.

Geetha Shankaran – Lam had been the Odissi Acharya (International Guru/Principal) at the Temple of Fine Arts for 19 years, a position chosen and bestowed by the founder and spiritual guru Swami Shantanand. In December 2010, Geetha retired from the TFA, and introduced Guru Ratikant Mohapatra, as the next custodian. She then took leave of her duties from the TFA, and in April 2011, founded Geethashankarandance.

Being popular as a Malaysian-trained artiste, known for her high standards, discipline and quality training, Geetha’s GSD emerged as a brand to be reckoned with. GSD was invited to perform at national and international events, and through collaborations with local choreographers and well-known arts activists, found avenues to explore dance, music, theatre as an inter-phasing medium to unite the classical communities with new audiences and younger people. She created platforms for collaboration and interactive projects. Through Covid 19, GSD continued to impart lessons online and in a public park introducing Indian sounds, movements, yoga as the public went about their exercise routines. GSD was able to maintain arts education for those who felt emotionally and mentally challenged. Geetha has been nominated 4 times for the BOH Cameronian Awrads and won 2 for Best Set Design in 2009, and Best Music and Sound Design in 2023. She has once again been nominated in 2025 for her 2024 production, Samskara- Past Reflections Present Expressions, for Best Lead Performer and Best Music and Sound Design. Geetha has also performed in the MY Dance Festival, Sibu International Arts Festival, Think City’s Arts On The Move Festival, Citrawarana Festival, APEC Arts Festival, MPO’s Music Festival, to name just a few celebratory events. Geetha also directed the Sunway Deepavali advertisement in 2017/18.

This year GSD is in its 14th year, and it has rebranded itself as GSD Performing Arts Studio building on a new studio space for a community in and around the Sungei Besi settlement at the HEXA Walk. Geetha and her family continue to serve and are already planning an extensive schedule that will be attractive to wellness, healing and staying active or connected to cultural traditions.be active in keeping the traditions alive. Her children are dancers and musicians, while they also pursue their own professional careers.

Geetha Shankaran - Lam is married to copywriter & designer, also theatre and drama coach Lam Ghooi Ket for 34 years, and they have 3 children: Hariraam Tingyuan Lam, a musician (violinist and vocalist) who is married to an HR consultant, also a dancer; Arunagiri Szeyuan Lam (an Applied Physics degree holder, tutor, dancer, musician, acts, and designs) and Sangametra Yuiyuan Lam (Communication Arts degree holder, dancer, tutor and copywriter). Together, they are known as The Malaysian Family in the Arts.