Trained in Bharatanatyam a Kalakshetra by Rukmini Devi Arundale and Sarada Hoffman, he received his diploma in 1954. He began his career as a dance teacher in Mahavidyalaya in Varnasi in 1958.

A Padma Bhushan awardee (2011), Professor Chandrasekhar retired from the M.S. University, Baroda, as Head of the Department of Performing Arts in 1992. Since then, several prestigious awards have followed – the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Kalidas Samman, Nadabrahmam, and Sangeeta Kala Acharya, to name a few. Little did he know as a young M.Sc Botany student that he would one day be a beacon light in the Bharatanatyam world. Not only is Prof. Chandrasekhar one of the first few male Bharatanatyam dancers to dedicate their lives to art, but he has three talented women to share his artistic space – his wife and dance partner Jaya Chandrasekhar, and his daughters Chitra Chandrasekhar Dasarathy and Manjari Rajendra Kumar, who are established performers known for their creative and intelligent approach to the art form.

CVC (as he’s popularly known ) a multi faceted personality - dancer, choreographer, researcher, musician, academician, composer and highly acclaimed teacher of Bharatanatyam. He has been performing for the past five decades in India and all over the globe and is invited by many dancers the world over to teach and choreograph. CVC has a number of music and dance compositions to his credit and his dance dramas have been very highly acclaimed for their individuality and innovative approach. His choreographic works include Kalidasa’s Ritu Samharam and Keghadootham, Aparajitha, Pancha Maha Bhootham, Arohanam, Bhoomija, Brahmarageeth and many others.

CVC and Jaya (his wife) established their dance school – Nithyashree in Chennai. He was awarded the sangeet natak academy award in 1993 and was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 2011. The Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) conferred the prestigious award of Natya Kalanidhi on Prof. Chandrasekhar on 20 October 2013 in Chennai.