Dance with Me

This tragic tale of valour and friendship will soon be portrayed by noted Bharatanatyam exponents Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan and his wife Shanta Dhananjayan in Pune. The Chennai-based artistes will be performing in Pune after a gap of 14 years. Popularly known as the Dhananjayans,Vannadil and Shanta are celebrated dance artistes of Tamil Nadu and hope to treat Puneites to the rich mythology of India through their dances.

The Dhananjayans,who are in their early 70s,present the dance performance that is a mix of nritya,bhava and artha,a mélange which offers a deeper insight into the storyline. “We believe that dance is a form in which one can express his thoughts better than words. Dancing doesn’t just mean to move one’s body to music. Dance is a way in which a voiceless person can share his story with people by using just his expressions,” says Shanti.

The duo’s dance story goes back to the ’50s,when they received training from TK Chandu Panikkar at Kalakshatra,a prestigious Bharatanatyam institute in Chennai. Vannadil joined the institute when he was 12,and Shanti was just nine. The two child artistes performed their way through the ’60s and ruled the art stage. Towards the end of the decade,the duo parted ways with the institute to form their own dance institute,Bharata Kalanjali Dance Academy in Chennai. Along the way,the two went from being on-stage partners to life partners as well.

Some of their noted performances include Pt Ravi Shankar’s magnum opus Ghanashyam in 1989-90. The duo also presented Chakra at the National Dance Institute,New York with over a thousand children from different countries; and a joint venture with the Ohio Ballet Company,Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland Cultural Alliance in a performance titled the Jungle Book Ballet,among others.

In Pune,the Padma Bhushan-winning couple have planned a two hour-long performance,titled Nritya Tarangini where they will perform with a few of their students from Chennai. “Here is where all cultures meet and are encouraged. It is this encouragement that pulled us back,” said Vannadil.

The show will be held at Tilak Smarak Auditorium on June 2 at 10 am