- Bharatakalanjali Productions
- Collaborations
- Students Productions
Collaborations
Bharata Kalanjali has produced more than thirty dance productions in the International art scene. Dance dramas in various themes, multilingual, and cutting across different dance forms retaining the beauty of Sahitya, music, and décor.
Collaborating with National, International choreographers and Institutes to produce monumental theatrical ventures and larger than life productions was BK’s style.
International Young Performers Tour (2007)
Creative Connections presented twelve talented 12 to 18-year-old Indian dancers from the Dhananjayans’ Bharata Kalanjali Academy to the Tri-State area (CT, NY and NJ, USA) from October 26 – November 11, 2007. With their colorful costumes and jewelry, beautiful music, and vibrant dancing, the troupe transported audiences to their homeland of India, a land rich in culture and traditions.
Alchemy of opposites (2007)
Alchemy of Opposites, a Pan-Asian theme is a choreography of the Dhananjayans, a collaboration with Alapana, Singapore. Dhananjayan has carefully crafted a traditional choreography and clothed it in a contemporary outfit. Lavanya premiered this thematic production for Kalaa Utsavam, held by the Esplanade, Singapore on 18th Nov 2007.
Mahaabhaaratam (1998)
This dance drama was jointly produced by French Theatre Flurry & Association Vaani in Reunion in 1998 and was performed in 28 cities in the USA in 1999.
Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1998)
Satyam Sivam Sundaram was staged to celebrate the Tenth Annual Natya Adyayana Gurukulam organized by The Fine Arts Society of Yogaville. This production was inspired by the teachings of Poojyashree Sachidanandaswamiji.
Jungle Book (1995 – 97)
A joint venture of Ohio Ballet Co., Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland Cultural Alliance, Heinz Poll, Director, Ohio Ballet, and V P Dhananjayan, Director, Bharata Kalanjali jointly choreographed this 90-minute production.
Sitaa Raama Kathaa / Raamanaatakam (1993)
With the Singapore India Fine Arts Society, it was choreographed for the International Art Festival of Government of Singapore in1986. Music composed by Turaiyur Rajagopala Sharma.
Chakra (1991)
Chakra, on the philosophy of life, staged in NY was a mammoth production with 1000 school children of various nationalities participating in it. A production of the National Dance Institute, New York, it was directed by famous choreographer Jacques D’Amboise.
Ghanashyaam (1989/90)
Dhananjayan choreographed Pt. Ravishankar’s Magnum Opus on drug abuse. It is a fusion of music, dance, mime, and opera. A unique production commissioned by Birmingham Touring opera house U K.
Return of Spring (Kumaarasambhavam) (1986)
A production by the Academy of Indian dance in London was choreographed by Dhananjayan, which saw classical theme in a contemporary vein of presentation. Music by Vidwan T V Gopalakrishnan.
The Arts Council of England invited the Dhananjayans to do another production, this time on a mythological theme. They adapted Kumarasambhavam, a completely Sanskrit work. In contrast to Jungle Book, which had no lyrics, some lyrics were used in Kumarasambhavam. T V Gopalakrishnan entered the field of dance by composing music for this dance drama. Rajkumar Bharati gave vocal support.
After doing the choreography and composing the music, Dhananjayan taught the whole thing to his students Unnikrishnan (settled in UK) and Venkatachalapathy who had just left Kalakshetra. Venkatachalapathy went to London and the whole dance drama was executed on London based artists.
In order to make the production more accessible to the audience, Narada was the sootradhar who gave explanations in English. Narada would be a character in the dance drama as well as a narrator.
Jungle Book – Adventures of Mowgli (1984)
Rudyard Kipling’s Indian Jungle story retold in dance and mime, choreographed by Dhananjayan for Academy of Indian Dance in London, is a contemporary presentation with innovative and creative movements deployed to bring in the beauty of Nature. Music: Pt. Vijayaraghava Rao.
Sanghamitra (1981)
Dance drama choreographed with Singapore artistes for International Art Festival of Government of Singapore.
Floating University – Semester At Sea (1979-82)
The Dhananjayans have served four times as honorary members of the faculty for The Institute for Shipboard Education’s Semester-at-Sea Program.
Art In Education Conference of N Y State Education Dept (1976)
The Dhananjayans were invited to participate in the ‘Towards Harmonising Education’ annual conference of New York State University, a rare privilege extended only to top dancers. The trip included a 4-month tour of the New York State education centers from elementary schools to university level.
Festival of Indian Arts in Paris (1973)
Dhananjayans performed in the Bharatanaatyam category for the mega tour of France in 1973 with one month of performances, 6 days a week at the prestigious Theatre De La Ville in Paris.