I first heard of "
THE legendary Dhanajayans" from my Guru Smt. Sripriya Sridhar. She has had the good fortune of learning from both of them for many many years. As a young teen who's never spent a day outside of Mumbai, I didn't exactly know the importance of this dancing duo in the world of Bharatanatyam. But as I grew up, the curiosity to know more about these famous dancers who trained my dance teacher grew. And I invaded YouTube to watch their performances and bought some of their DVDs too. They often travel the world along with their troupe performing in various places. I met them at a program in Matunga, Mumbai. It soon became clear WHY they were famous. They're incredible. The coordination, creativity and energy with which they have been dancing all these years has earned them the respect of fellow dancers and made them into a phenomenon in Bharatanatyam. Today, more than 60 years of dancing on stage later, they're still growing strong - together.
About V.P Dhananjayan
Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan, son of
A.Rama Poduval and
Madhavi Amma was born on
30th April, 1939 (
some sources say 17th April) in Payyanur (Kerala). He was brought to Smt. Rukmini Devi's
Kalakshetra, Chennai at the age of 13 in the year 1953 by the famed Guru T.K. Chandu Panikkar. He stayed there till 1967, receiving Post Graduate Diploma in Dance (Bharatanatyam and
Kathakali) with distinction, and also holds a B.A in Economics and Politics. From the very young age of 8, he has been writing poetry in Sanskrit and has shown a penchant for creative ideas. It were these very qualities that made his father decide to send him to Kalakshetra, where he would spend the next 15 years of his life.
About Shanta Dhananjayan
Shanta Dhananjayan is a Post Graduate Diploma with distinction in Bharatanatyam and has also learned
Kathakali and Carnatic music from Kalakshetra and was a leading female dancer from 1955 till 1968. Shanta Dhananjayan born on 12th August 1943 into a well to do Indian family in Malaysia, was a child prodigy. By the time she was 3, her parents were convinced that Shanta would be a dancer. They found in her, an inborn response to dance and joy of movement and decided to send her to India for her education. After a brief period in Kerala, her parents wanted to send her to Shantiniketan, which was then a great center for the arts. With the encouragement of her uncle Achuta Menon, they sent her to Kalakshetra as an 8 year old in June 1952, a year before Dhananjayan.
How they met -
The story of how they met eacher other and fell in love is another magical story altogether! :-) It is said that for Dhananjayan sir, who had been living in a village all his life, it was love at first sight. Shanta was the first girl he met as he was being escorted into the portals of Kalakshetra by Guru Panicker. Though Shanta was a serious student completely devoted to her dance and music, she had secretly made up her mind, at the age of 12, to partner Dhananjayan in life. Dhananjayan expressed his desire to marry Shanta when she was 18, but she left for Malaysia after graduation and did not let him know of her consent till after returning to India 4 years later. They married in 1966 at the Guruvayoor Temple in Kerala.
About Bharatakalanjali -
They founded the dancing institute
Bharatakalanjali in 1968. Under the able stewardship of Dhananjayan and Shanta, Bharatakalanjali has become one of the most well known institutions in Tamil Nadu for Bharatanatyam. Through Bharatakalanjali, Dhananjayans have trained several talented poor children, who are successfully pursuing their career in Bharatanatyam. Dhananjayans' contributions to the development and propagation of Indian art and culture is very significant.
Innovation & Dancing Style
The Dhananjayans are well known as trendsetters in the field of Bharatanatyam, bringing fresh wave of choreographic innovations and creativity within the traditional ambit. All the present day Bharatanatyam dancers, have taken inspiration from new directions they have incorporated, both in solo and group productions. The Dhananjayans are pioneers in undertaking collaborations with Western choreographers and ballet dancers, while keeping the identity of Bharatanaatyam and Kathakali and other dance forms. As contemporary and modern choreographers par excellence, they have been appreciated for their uncompromising quality of Indianness in their presentations never trying to please the westerners by adopting their technique. Instead they tried to instill and make them understand the value and greatness of our deep-rooted theatrical technique.
Career as a Dancing Duo
Some of their major performances/productions include:
- Pandit Ravi Shankar's Magnum Opus "GHANASHYAM" 1989/90
- National Dance Institute, New York "CHAKRA", with a cast of 1,000 multinational children
- A joint venture of Ohio Ballet Co., Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland Cultural Alliance - Jungle Book Ballet
- Choreographer for International Art Festival of Government of Singapore, "Sita Rama Katha" 1986 In the same festival, choreographed dance drama "Sanghamitra" with Singapore Artistes 1994
- Mahaabhaaratham dance drama jointly produced by French Theatre Fluerry & Association Vaani in Reunion French Island 1998, 1999
Yogaville Camps
The Dhananjayans have been conducting the summer Gurukulam camps at the Satchidananda Ashram, Yogaville, Virgina, USA, continuously from 1988. The camp is usually held in the July-August time of the year enabling dancers from the USA and other parts of the world to take part. This camp, a concentrated course developed by the Natya Adyayana Gurukulam, in the beautiful Virginia countryside, has helped spread awareness of Indian culture and values to American born Indian children, and other students of different parts of the globe, to understand the values of Indian art and culture, and of course, philosophy and significance of our Indian mythology and the characters in the epics. It is an intensive, full time residential course devoted entirely to the fine arts. To know more & register,
click here.
Honors & Achievements
Some of the major awards and accolades conferred on the Dhananjayans are:
- Padma Bhushan, Government of India, 2009
- Nritya Rathnakara, Cleveland Aradhana, USA, 2009
- A doctarte from Vaels university, 2009
- "Nadhabrahmam" by Kalakshetra chairman
- Live Magazine Achievement Award (Ohio State Academy Award) 1997 (for the best Theatrical Production of the year '96-97 for jungle book dance choreography for Ohio Ballet Company)
- Plaque of Honour awarded by the Governor of Ohio State for excellent Community Service and International Understanding through Art 1996
- Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Government of India, 1994
- Kerala Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship, 1993
- Kalaimamani Award, Tamil Nadu Government, 1990
- Haridas Sammelan Sursingar Sansad Mumbai "Nrityavillas" Award 1989
- Munshi Centenary Commemorative Award, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London UK 1988
- UNESCO Paris, Medallion De Merit 1984
- Nritya Choodamani, Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, 1983
- Scroll of Honour Arts and Crafts Magazine, New Delhi awarded by then Vice President Hon, K.R.Narayanan
Publications
V.P Dhananjayan is a prolific writer and writes not only on dance but also on social and political issues. His publications include:
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| source: some of their students performing |
Sources: Bharatakalanjali , Wikipedia
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