In the TEDxTalk titled “What Dreams May Become,” Geetha Shankaran Lam takes the audience on a poignant journey through her life and dreams. She reflects on her early aspirations to promote global peace, which she found a path to through the performing arts. Geetha shares her family’s immigrant history, highlighting her grandmother’s struggles in 1920s Kerala and the strong values instilled by her parents, which shaped her into the woman she is today.
Through years of dedication and training in classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Odissi, Geetha rose to prominence, albeit not without personal challenges, including a battle with health issues and the pressures of fame. As she navigated motherhood, she discovered new depths of creativity and healing. Defying societal norms, Geetha embraced vulnerability by shedding conventional beauty standards, accentuating her artistry’s essence.
Her powerful message underscores the role of performing arts in fostering empathy and compassion, aiming to inspire future generations. Ultimately, Geetha’s story is a testament to resilience, love, and the transformative power of dreams.
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Author Video Description
From a childhood dreamer in Malaysia to an internationally recognized Indian classical dancer, Geetha has spent over four decades shaping her life around the art of classical Indian dance. Along the way, she faced cultural expectations, personal struggles, and health challenges- yet through discipline, resilience, and self-healing, she transformed obstacles into strength. Today, as an artist, teacher, mother and leader, she shares how dance became more than a performance: a journey of identity, balance and purpose. Ms Geetha is a Malaysian-based Indian classical dancer with over 40 years of experience in the performing arts. She received formal training in Bharatanatyam under Teacher Krishna Kumari and later in Odissi under Padmashri Datuk Ramli Ibrahim. In addition to her expertise in Indian classical dance, she has studied various other dance forms, including ballet, contemporary, Chinese classical, and folk dances. Ms Geetha has led numerous performances, workshops, and training programs locally and internationally, and has served as Head of the Odissi Department at the Temple of Fine Arts. She has been recognized with multiple awards for her contributions to arts education and cultural development in the Southeast Asian region. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
About TEDxTalks
TEDx is an international community that organizes TED-style events anywhere and everywhere — celebrating locally-driven ideas and elevating them to a global stage. TEDx events are produced independently of TED conferences, each event curates speakers on their own, but based on TED’s format and rules.
Video “What Dreams May Become | Geetha Shankaran Lam | TEDxSunway University” was uploaded on 10/13/2025 to Youtube Channel TEDx Talks