Group Productions
Aikya Bhaaratam
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The popular production has crossed more than 3000 presentations. A programme designed to integrate India through folk and classical dances from different regions, with authentic costumes, music and dance.



Chakra (Collaboration)
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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.



Chandaalika
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The famous story by Rabindranath Tagore against casteism is about an untouchable girl’s rebellion against the oppression and stigma of untouchability. This dance drama on a Buddhist theme has original music and poems by Rabindranath Tagore.



Cultural Panorama of Tamilnadu
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It is a mammoth production involving 100 artistes. It uses modern technology of slide projection and audiovisual technique incorporated with live dancing and music (both folk and classical).




Daivakaarunyam
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In Kathakali style, it shows the timely rescue by the weather gods, of a pregnant deer trapped between a prowling tiger, forest fire and a hunter. It was performed as 'The Plight of the Pregnant Deer' at the 4th World Wilderness Congress on September 17, 1987 at Colorado.




Dasaavataaram
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Description of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu as narrated by Jayadeva. C V Chandrasekhar has composed the music in 11 classical ragas.




Dhanwanthari
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Bharatakalanjali was commissioned to produce in a dance drama form, the mythological story describing the emergence of the celestial physician Dhanwanthari, by the Corporate body Medimix Company for the occasion of the World conference on Ayaurveda-2000 (The Indian indigenous practice system of medicine). First time presented on 28th January 2000.




Ekaantha Seetha... a lonely furrow (2006) (Collaboration)
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Ekaantha Seetha - a true dance drama, with dance, music and drama as intrinsic components. It is a celebration of women of extraordinary courage and character, of such gumption and grace. It spans three different time zones - the first episode is based on Ramayana's Vaidehi as the "Veera Arya Kanya," the second on historic Rani Lakshmi Bai and the third on a modern day heroine Aparajita.



Ghanashyaam – A Broken Branch (1989 / 90) (Collaboration)
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Ghanashyaam was a musical theatre, the story conceived by Ravi Shankar himself. Ever since Ravi Shankar saw the Dhananjayans perform, he was keen to work with them on this dance drama. He got the opportunity when his fans and friends like George Harrison asked him to do something for his 70th birthday.



International Young Performers Tour (2007) (Collaboration)
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Creative Connections presented twelve talented 12 to18 year-old Indian dancers from the Dhananjayans’ Bharata Kalanjali Academy to the Tri-State area this autumn.
Punyakoti (Animal stories-cow & linoness), Mohini Bhasmaasura (Mythology), Folk dances like Bhangada, Santhali, Raasa and Kurathikummy, representing north to south and east.



Jungle Book (1995 – 97) (Collaboration)
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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



Jungle Book - Adventures of Mowgli (1984) (Collaboration)
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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.
 



Kaaliya Mardanam
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The story of Sri Krishna’s dancing on the hood of a serpent to lyrics taken from Bhattatiri’s Narayaneeyam. Music is by Reji George.




Karuna (Compassion)
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A beautiful piece of Malayalam poetry by the poet laureate Kumaranasan is a Buddhist theme promulgating the idea of love and compassion to the needy.



Kumaarasambhavam - Return of Spring (Collaboration)
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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 is by Vidwan T V Gopalakrishnan.




Maadhavageetam
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Tamizh translation of Gita Govindam of Jayadeva by Smt. D Pattammal conforms to traditional dance drama presentation, yet very simple and elegant with many dancers participating.



Magdalana Mariyam
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It is the Christian story of Mary Magdalene in Malayalam, with lyrics by poet Vallathol Narayana Menon.




Mahaabhaaratam (Collaboration)
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This dance drama was jointly produced by French Theatre Fluerry & Association Vaani in Reunion French Island in April 1998 and was performed in 28 cities in USA in 1999. With more than a 100 in the cast, Mahaabhaaratam was presented in Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, in February 1999 as part of a fund raising drive to renovate the Sabha auditorium.



Nandanaar Charitam
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Nandanaar story promulgates the philosophy of God - equal love for all creations without the discrimination of caste, creed, religion, low or higher birth. Poet Gopalakrishna Bhaarathi’s musical opera "Nandanaar Charitam" is an immortal Tamil literature suited for singing, dancing and reading. (Musical direction for this production - by late Sri. Turaiyur Rajagopalasarma & Sri. Mani Iyer).



Navarasa
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Episodes predominant with the nine emotions are presented using both Kathakali and Bharatanaatyam styles.




Nritya Tarangini
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Nritya Tarangini (Ripple of dance) is a unique presentation of group choreography in Bharatanaatyam with subjects relating to nature and human body. Dr. Balamuralikrishna’s Kadanakutuhala Tillana is the piece de resistance in this dance presentation.



Purush
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As the name suggests, it was an all male item done by 20 male dancers for the IDA conference in 1990. The production made the use of instruments like nadaswaram and tavil for music, something not very common those days.



Raadha Maadhavam
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The twelfth century love lyrics by Jayadeva in Samskritam has songs ideal for interpretations in dance. Some of the musical score in this production is by Dhananjayan.



Sangeetha Maaruthi
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Hanuman, the presiding deity for music and an embodiment of bhakti and humility is not part of the traditional dance repertoire; no one had attempted a full-length feature on him. This production focuses on the power and majesty of Lord Hanuman. It is the story of Hanuman's birth and various attributes of the monkey god.



Sanghamitra
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A dance drama in Samskritam, written by Prof. V Subramaniam of Carlton Univ., Ottawa, depicts the transformation of King Ashoka from a war monger to a peace loving king. This is a Buddhist theme. The costumes and choreography are different in their originality, reflecting the historical period. Music: Turaiyur Rajagopala Sarma.



Satyam Sivam Sundaram (Collaboration)
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An ecumenical theme, the concept of everlasting philosophy that Truth is one, but the paths are many. Simple Tamizh poetic verse written by poet Prof. Muthukannapar.



Shiva Sakthi Vel
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Poet Shemmanar Koil Shanmugam’s Tamizh poems on the birth of Muruga is a gripping dance drama with just three characters Shiva, Parvathi and Kartikeya. Music is by Reji George and T K Padmanabhan under the guidance and direction of Dhananjayan.



Sitaa Raama Kathaa / Raamanaatakam
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The epic story is presented without characterized costume, but with emphasis on just body and facial expression. Music: Turaiyur Rajagopala Sarma. Lyrics: Arunachala Kavirayar.



Sita Swayamvaram
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(Tulsidas Raamaayana in Hindi)
The epic story of Raama’s wedding with Sita is completely tuned into Hindustani music by Pt. Rama Rao and is a beautiful fusion of north-south dance & music.



Sri Krishna Jananam
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a new production commemorating the 40th anniversary of Bharatakalanjali, premiered for ISKCON, Bangalore for their annual Festival.
Produced by Bharatakalanajli with partial funding from ISKCON
Artistic direction & production co-ordination: V.P.Dhananjayan
Choreography: Prof. A. Janardhanan, artiste and former Principal of Kalakshetra, Chennai
Music composition: Mysore S. Rajaram, Former Director, Kalakshetra, Chennai
Dancers: Bharatakalanjali Artistes & Graduates from Kalakshetra, Chennai



Sri Thyaagaraaja Vaibhavam
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Sri Thyaagaraaja Vaibhavam is a theme conceived by S Viswanathan of Kalamandir Trust and presented first time for the fund collection of the Thyagaraja Vidwat-Samajam on June 21, 1992 at the Music Academy, Chennai.



Sri Valli
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A mythological story in Tamizh written by Periyasami Thooran and music set by Turaiyur Rajagopala Sarma, a well known music composer in films during the forties, who also composed many dance dramas in Kalakshetra. This production involves both classical and folk style in both music and dance.



Stree (The Woman)
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A biblical theme in Tamil, written by Justice Nainar Sundaram with music by Dhananjayan is a very innovative stage presentation with suggestive costumes. This goes with the contemporary theatre movements and is very effective as a social theme.



Thiruk-Kural Bharatam
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THIRUK -KURAL in Bharatanaatyam choreographed by the Dhananjayans & performed by Kavitha, Meera, Anjana from USA.