From The Dhananjayans with best wishes and blessings to all. 

WE do hope all of you have a copy of my books. If not please do get them and keep them for your reference. Our Bharatakalanjali web page www.bharatakalaanjali.org also has valuable information on various aspects of Bharatanaatyam and it serves as a reference tool. As our very own direct student/disciples if you don't possess a copy of my books, then WHO WILL HAVE them?  

1. Dancer on dance. Dhananjayan on Indian classical dances  

2. Thoughts & Actions (2 volumes) and 

3. the most recent book Beyond performing: Art & Culture (politico-social aspects).  

As you are all aware we are largely responsible for setting a new trend in Bharatanaatyam repertoire, infusing a fresh breeze into the format and structure of presentation. WE not only introduced new items with novel ideas but also coined new terminology or names for the Bharatanaatyam items to be more meaningful and relevant to Naatya sampradaya or tradition. Our contemporary colleagues in the field may not accept them and use them, as they may feel after all it is Mr. Dhananjayan's creation. Actually they are not my creations, but I am instrumental in reviving the old terminology. Just like the term 'Bharatanaatyam' was reinstated by experts in the nineteen thirtees- it took a while for the controversies on the change of name to subside and finally it got settled mainly due to the establishment of Kalakshetra which institutionalised the training system attached to a particular family oriented / community oriented tradition.  

Traditions continue to change according to time, people, circumstances, necessity and relevance to situations. So some of the items we choreographed and taught to you are named differently. Some of the old names such as Jateeswaram, Varnam, Tillana are also renamed to suit the contents of that particular item and make it more meaningful. The words are not totally new, but taken from ancient treatise of Naatya. All of you who have been trained under us in Bharatakalaanjali must be familiar with these items and we want Jateeswaram  should be titled as  Nrittaswaraavali  (nritta + swaraavali), Varnam should be titled as Nrityopahaaram (nritya + upahaaram) and Tillana as Nrittaangahaaram (nritta + angahaaram). The scholars have accepted these terms as truly Naatya oriented titles for those items referred. I would like you to use them in your students' Arangetram brochures and when presenting your programmes.  

Recently we came across some of the distorted version of our items performed by Bharatakalanjali alumnae and their students as well.  If it is a traditional song  you may do your own choreography. But the originality of songs exclusively composed and repertoire specially choreographed for Bharatakalanjali should be kept untampered.  

WE also ask you not to change our original composition and choreography of the items learnt from us. If you have doubts or have forgotten the original composition you can always refer to us or ask one of our senior disciples who could clarify your doubts. In this way you will be keeping up your Gurus' legacy faithfully.  

With blessings from your Gurus "The Dhananjayans".