V P Dhananjayan

The popular dancing couple of India, Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan and his wife Shanta Dhananjayan are amongst the most accomplished dancers and teachers of Bharatanatyam. On the auspicious day of Vijayadasami, October 18th, 1953, Dhananjayan was initiated into two art forms – Kathakali and Bharatanatyam. Besides graduating in politics and economics, he is a postgraduate in Kathakali from Kalakshetra, Chennai. Dhananjayan was also one of the leading male dancers under Rukmini Devi, Founder, Kalakshetra.

Dhananjayan always had a flair towards poetry and Sanskrit dramas. The place he was born, Payyanur, was rich in culture and heritage such as Kalarippayattu (Martial arts), Kathakali (the classical dance theatre) and Theiyyam (a ritualistic folk art form). He acted in his father’s plays and grew up seeing his father and other relatives travel from one village to another during school vacations, performing along their way.

Fortunate to be discovered by Chandu Panicker for his talent, Dhananjayan moved to Kalakshetra where he spent the next 15 years of his life learning the art. The discipline and dedication which later reflected in his performances and productions were instilled within the walls of this institution. His flair for academics and arts was equally well utilised and he was principal in organising and executing production tours. He was given the scholarship to study at Kalakshetra where the rigours of his education and way of life prepared him to meet the challenges of life as a dancer.

“In many ways, I am the person I am because of that institution”

Shanta Dhananjayan

Born on 12th August 1943, to a well to do Indian family in Malaysia, Shanta Dhananjayan had been showing an ardent passion towards dance from the tender age of three. Walking into the campus of Kalakshetra as young as 8, Shanta, a child prodigy had an inborn response to dance and joy of movement. With Rukmini Devi as mentor and Chandu Panickar as the guru, she was an outstanding student in Bharatanatyam and Music. Holding a Post Graduate Diploma with a distinction in Bharatanatyam, she has also learnt Kathakali and Carnatic music from Kalakshetra.

The match made in heaven was matrimony realized at Kalakshetra. A partner on stage becoming a partner for life was a dream come true for Shanta & Dhananjayan. They stepped into a life dedicated to dance in the staff quarters of the Kalakshetra Campus where both of them served as faculty. There is never a moment that passes without Akka and Master stating, “Whatever we are today, it is because of Rukmini Devi and Guru Chandu Panicker.”

A performer, a singer, a teacher par excellence – Shanta Akka is the perfect balance to this legendary institution installing in her students the core values which shape not just an artist but a better human being.