Teaching & Learning...

- Like any good institution, Bharata Kalanjali is interested not only in developing exceptional talent, but are convinced that they can bring out talents that are less spectacular than those of the best dancers. No student has been rejected as useless. Parents, who bring the so-called dull students to Bharata Kalanjali, do not understand that memorizing the music and dance is a lot of mental work One needs complete concentration, knowledge of mathematics and a good memory.


-Theory is an essential part of practice, so theory classes form a part of dance education at Bharata Kalanjali. For a performer, practical perfection is more important. A study of theory further enhances the knowledge about the art. It helps in teaching and choreographing. Though it is not absolutely necessary to go deep into theory to be an impressive performer, a study of general subjects pertaining to the dance will enhance the quality of the performance.

- Should a dancer learn music? This is a common debate. To the Dhananjayans, music and dance go hand in hand. To be a musician and a dancer is very good, so music education is encouraged. It is even better if one is interested in literature. Every word and meaning of the song should be well understood before performing and, added to that, the musical ability or sense of music elevates one's performance.

Consistent training in Bharata Kalanjali has shaped many such students into excellent human beings, teachers and professionals who are leading very happy, satisfying lives. Some of them have become University rank holders, brilliant doctors and academicians.

The Dhananjayans proudly affirm that they have achieved at least 90% success in this. Maybe about 2-3% of Bharata Kalanjali students have taken up dance as a career but the others are using the discipline learnt here in their own careers.

- The tag of being a student of Bharata Kalanjali has helped many get admission in colleges or get jobs. It has given them a boost in life, and that makes them value this training much more, even though they may have originally joined the institution under parental pressure. These incidences deepen their interest in dance and the arts. This is just one such instance of how one can mould students through art.

- Art in education is a very important factor in Bharata Kalanjali.


- Only in natya, does one have the physical, mental and spiritual unification. Dance has everything, even meditation. Yatho hastha thatho dhrishtihi. Dance movements are physical exercise.

Fitness is given great importance. Before class, the students have to compulsorily do warm-up exercises. The Dhananjayans conceive of their dance exercises as yoga, not only in the sense of physical exercise, but also in the sense of moral and spiritual upliftment. All the dance steps, like karanas, are very closely associated with yogic postures. Sampoorna yogam idham natyam, the most complete yoga is natya.

The Guru-Shishya relationship
The Dhananjayans’ lives revolve around their students and their performances. Their relationships with their students are quite different from those of traditional dance teachers. The students love the relaxed atmosphere at Bharata Kalanjali and the personal attention they receive. They are free to discuss any aspect of their lives with their gurus and are encouraged to bring out their personalities in dance as well as in their private lives.

The Dhananjayans’ warm relationship with their students extends to even learning from them. They encourage senior disciples to compose and do their own choreography and find it amazing to watch how innovative young minds can be. Sometimes the disciples come out with such good ideas that critics have, on occasions, credited their choreography to the Dhananjayans, because they thought that the work was too good to have been that of a student. The Dhananjayans are proud to claim that they have the distinction of performing items choreographed by their students.

Roles done originally by the Dhananjayans are generally done in subsequent programs by senior artistes of Bharata Kalanjali, giving them the exposure and experience of doing major roles in big productions.

Whenever the Dhananjayans create a new production, they involve their students in it, giving them the opportunity to work in different aspects related to making a big production. This makes them evolve and innovate, to become complete artistes, not just dancers.

Working in a group production, one learns more than as a solo artiste. The spirit of camaraderie, give and take, share and care, are some of the qualities one learns when working in a group.

Art in education will save the pervasive minds of the younger ones. Children at all stage of education should be exposed to the fine arts, to create a better audience for the future.

The Dhananjayans believe in exposing their students to different dance styles and view them with an open mind. They encourage their students to attend the performances by other artists and even take the students along to attend many performances. The idea is that one has an innate sense of distinguishing the good from the bad and the students should assimilate the good that they see.

Like true students of great masters, the Dhananjayans enlarged their vision and knowledge by constant practice and perseverance, search and researches. Their ambitious career resulted in the establishment of Bharata Kalanjali, one of the finest academies of dance, music and allied arts in India today. The institution can boast of a string of well-trained good dancers, who have gained enough technique and spirit of adventure from their Gurus to continue the tradition of Bharata Kalanjali in different corners of the globe.