27 September 2023 /

RENOWNED BHARATANATYAM DANCER, TEACHER & CHOREOGRAPHER RADHA ANJALI

Radha Anjali is an internationally acclaimed Indian classical Bharatanatyam dancer, Teacher and Choreographer from Vienna who presently works on a documentary film – A Dancer’s Life in Two Cultures’ on the occasion of 75 Years diplomatic relations between Austria and India.

Renowned Classical dancer Radha Anjali is the president of the Austrian-Indian Association and the founder and director of ‘Natya Mandir’, an association for the promotion of Classical Indian dance in Austria. She teaches Bharatanatyam at the University of Vienna, Austria.

In Vienna, she received her initial dance training from the Indian dancers Dilnawaz and Aban Banas at the early years of her childhood. Later she studied Bharatanatyam from the renowned dancer Kama Dev in Vienna and from her Guruji Kalanidhi Narayanan and Guruji Adyar K. Lakshman in Chennai. Radha Anjali studied Kuchipudi from Kama Dev, Kuchipudi Art Academy and from the renowned Indian Kuchipudi dance exponent couple gurus, Choreographers Raja and Radha Reddy.

She studied Seraikella Chhau, the spring festival dance of Jharkhand, India from Kama Dev, Pradeep Kar Memorial Trust and from the renowned Chhau dance exponent Padma Shri Shashadhar Acharya, Jharkhand.

Radha Anjali studied Yoga under the guidance of her parents and Guru Swami Yogeshwarananda Sarswati Maharaj (Vyas Dev) in Rishikesh from1970 to 1985.

Radha Anjali studied Rudolf Steiner School, Vienna; Philosophy at the University of Vienna and holds a PhD in philosophy on Indian Classical dance as a religious and philosophical phenomenon.

Renowned dancer Radha Anjali made her solo debut in Chennai at the Mylapore Fine Arts Auditorium in 1983.

Radha Anjali is an internationally acclaimed Indian Classical dancer and Choreographer who has performed in major festivals including Bharatanāṭyam-Debut of a full Margam in Vienna 1982; Ateliertheater am Naschmarkt; Palais Liechtenstein, Vienna; Dramatisches Zentrum, Vienna; Metropol, Vienna; Theater des Augenblicks, Vienna; Interkulttheater, Vienna; Künstlerhaus, Vienna; Konzerthaus, Vienna; Alte Schmiede, Vienna; Vienna International School; Mozarteum Salzburg; Ursulinenhof, Linz; Festspielhaus St.Pölten; Mimar Sinan Üniversitesi, Istanbul; Theater Het Klein, Eindhoven, NL; Centre Mandapa, Paris, France; Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University, Oxford; Österreichisches Kulturinstitut, Budapest; Österreichisches Kulturinstitut, Warschau, Poland; Manga Zentrum Krakau; Bern, Genf; Polis and Pafos, Cyprus; Lalish Theater, Vienna; Votivkirche, Vienna; Universität Vienna, Festsaal; Universitätsbibliothek, gr. Lesesaal; Off Theater, Vienna; United Nations, Vienna; India Independence Day Celebrations, University of Vienna Ceremonial Hall, 2019; Werk X, Vienna 2022; Konzerthaus Wien, Grosser Saal 2023 and Ljubljana Castle 2023.

She has also performed in major festivals in India including DANCE-DEBUT in India in 1983 at the Mylapore; Fine Arts Auditorium, Chennai; India International Centre, New Delhi 1989, 1996; Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi 1997; Music Academy Madras 1998; SANGAMA Tour 2002, 2007; SHIKHANDI 2011 in Kolkata at the Russian Cultural Centre; Chennai at Kalakshetra; New Delhi at Azad Bhavan; Trivandrum Vyloppilli Samskriti Bhavan; NAVAGRAHA 2013 in Chennai at Spaces; Pondicherry at the Musicology Congress; GURU SAMARPANAM with Induvadana Malli in Chennai at Kalakshetra 2015; VIEW ON MAHABHARATA at Lalit Arpan Festival, New Delhi 2017; Austrian Cultural Forum, Embassy of Austria, New Delhi; Golden Jubilee of Bharata Choodamani Academy, Kalakshetra, Chennai 2019; RADHA’S STORY, Austrian Embassy, New Delhi 2019 and SITARAMA, Purulia, 2019.

***“Dancing brings order to life”* – *Renowned Classical dancer Radha Anjali***

Renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Radha Anjali received many awards including the prestigious Award of the Federal Sign of Honour for Special Merits by the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner of Austria in 2004; the Award of the title of female professor by the Federal Ministry for Education in 2011 and the PaN Award (partner of all nations) was given to the Austro-Indian association from the umbrella organisation of Austrian-Foreign Societies.

She was the dance partner of the renowned dancer Kama Dev in his ‘Kama Dev Indian Dance Company’ and performed in various programmes in Austria and abroad.

DANCE PROJECTS

CHOREOGRAPHIES

Renowned dancer Radha Anjali founded ‘Natya Mandir’, a non-profit organisation for the promotion of Classical Indian dance in Austria in 1983 and conducts concerts, lectures and exhibitions on Indian arts and culture as well as dance classes and workshops.

Renowned dancer Radha Anjali founded ‘Natya Mandir’, a non-profit organisation for the promotion of Classical Indian dance in Austria in 1983 and conducts concerts, lectures and exhibitions on Indian arts and culture as well as dance classes and workshops. Many students made their ‘Arangetam’, solo dance debut under her guidance in Vienna. She has conducted many workshops and lecture-demonstrations in Austria; Germany; Netherlands; Belgium, Turkey; Poland; Jagiellonian University Krakow, Poland; University of Vilnius, Litauen; Satya Nilayam- Chennai Sacred Heart College, India); University of Nicosia, Cyprus and more.

NATYA MANDIR NEWS , the first magazine on Indian Classical dance was published in German language in 1992 for propagating the rich tradition and artistic values of various Indian Classical dance forms in Austria.

Presently, she is working with the renowned film maker Roxana Vossough on a documentary film, ‘A Dancer’s Life in Two Cultures’, on the occasion of 75 Years of diplomatic relations between Austria and India.

“Dancing is the best medicine” – Renowned dancer Radha Anjali

Photo credit: Wolfgang Stadler & Group photo: Ashwin Chopra