RĀDHA AÑJALI
Bharatanāṭyam Dancer and teacher from Vienna, Austria
General Education
Rudolf Steiner School, Vienna
Study of Philosophy at the University of Vienna
Doctorate with dissertation on „Bharatanāṭyam the classical Indian Dance as a religious and philosophical phenomenon“, 2002
Dance Education
Bharatanāṭyam
Aban and Dilnawaz Bana, Vienna 1969
Kama Dev, Vienna 1978
Kalanidhi Narayanan Vienna and Chennai 1981
Adyar K. Lakshman Bharata Choodamani Academy of Fine Arts/Chennai 1983
Experience with other dance styles
Western: Classical Ballett, Modern Dance, Folk dances of Eastern Europe, Flamenco at the Conservatory of Vienna, under Prof. Farkas, Prof. Rech, Prof. Kreutzberger, at the Ballet school Pfundmayr-Tagunoff, Prof. Jury Tagunoff and Masterclasses with Vija Vetra, Rosalia Chladek and Jose de Udaita at the Academy of fine Arts Vienna 1969-1977
Indian: Kuchipudi: Kama Dev/Vienna 1979, Vempati Chinna Satyam/Chennai 1986, Raja&Radha Reddy/New Delhi 2004/2005
Kathak: Dilnawaz Bana, Nandu Muley/Vienna.
Seraikella Chhau: Kama Dev, Ashish Kar, Brajendra Pattanayak/ in Vienna, Zürich, Seraikella, Shashadra Acarya/New Delhi and Vienna. Basics of Kalaripayattu: Klaus Seewald in Vienna and Graz.
Yoga under the guidance of her parents and from Guru Yogeshwarananda Saraswati Maharaj (Vyas Dev) from Rishikesh from 1965-1985. Hatha Yoga Acarya Diploma.
Teaching at the University Sports Institute Vienna, at the Institute for South Asien Studies of the University of Vienna department for Indology and at Natya Mandir Vienna.
Guest lectures and workshops, lecture-demonstrations Tanz*Hotel, ViennaXtra, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Poland, Jagellon University Krakow, Poland, University of Vilnius, Litauen, Satya Nilayam- Sacred Heart College, Chennai, University of Nicosia, Cyprus. KinderUni Vienna.
Performances
Bharatanāṭyam-Debut of a full Margam in Vienna 1982, Ateliertheater am Naschmarkt | Palais Lichtenstein, 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 Universitesi, 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 | Ljubljana Castle 2023 | First Indian Dance Festival of CID, Athens 2023 |
Performances in India
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 | SAMGAMA Tour 2002, 2007, SHIKHANDI 2011 in Kolkata at the Russian Cultural Centre, in Chennai at Kalakshetra, in New Delhi at Azad Bhavan, in Trivandrum at Vailopili Samskriti Bhavan | NAVAGRAHA 2013 in Chennai at Spaces, in Pondycherry at the Musicology Congress | GURU SAMARPANAM with Induvadana Malli in Chennai at Kalakshetra 2015 | VIEW ON MAHABHARATA at Lalit Arpan Festival, New Delhi 2017 and 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 | SITARAMA, Purulia, 2019 | Austrian Embassy and IGNCA, New Delhi 2024 | Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai 2024 |
Festivals
With „Kama Dev Indian Company“ at 1st Malta Arts Festival, Malta 1982, Estate Brindisina, Museo Civilita Romana, Rom, Italy |
As a solo dancer and with Natya Mandir Dance Company at „Hallamasch“, Vienna | International Dance Alliance, Chennai | „Graz erzählt“, Graz, Innsbruck, Vienna, Linz | Höfe Fest St.Pölten | Sommerspiele Wolfsthal | Österreichische Milleniumsfeier New Delhi, India 1996 | Wreath of Vrsac, Serbia | Fabelhaft Niederösterreich | Lalit Arpan Festival, New Delhi 2017 | Purulia Festival 2019
TV
Die grosse Chance ORF 1982 | „Sag die Wahrheit“ Bayrischer Rundfunk 1991 |Seitenblicke ORF | MiniZib ORF | Religionen ORF | Willkommen Österreich ORF| Heimat FREMDE Heimat ORF |Schiejok täglich | Zypern Paphos TV 1998 | Istanbul 1996 | India, New Delhi, Doordarshan, CNN IBN, 2007 | Serbien, Vrsac Festival 2007, 2009 | Hamburg 2009 India Week | TV Westbangal 2019
YouTube
natya mandir YouTube channel: „Die Gurus des Natya Mandir“ a documentary in 4 parts about Radha Anjali and Natya Mandir in Vienna. Trailer for Vrksa-The tree, Video for Holi 2021.
Choreographies
Holi Tanz 1986/87 | Putana-Krishna 1993 | Choreography for „Moisasurs Zauberfluch“, Melker Sommerfestspiele 1989 | Haiku Furuikeya 1999 | Saritanz 2000 | Dance with lights for children | 4 Adavu 2001 | Mrgasirsanatraka- how came Orion in the sky? 2003, Künstlerhaus Wien | Rent an Angel 1-Weihnachtsengel 2004 | Rent an Angel 2-Gefühlsengel 2005 | Two Indian Poems 2004 | Shikhandi – a transgender dance drama 2008/09 | Navagraha–the nine cosmic influencers 2012/2013 | Mahābhārata – a story about war and peace 2016 | Concordia Ball opening, Vienna Townhall, 2017 | Das Dschungelbuch, MuTh, Vienna | Madame Bovary, Theater in der Josefstadt, Vienna, 2018, Vṛkṣa-The Tree 2020 | Choreography for Carmina Burana 2023 |
Dance projects and productions
Kama Dev and Radha Anjali 1987 | Indian Night 1990 | Shiva Tandava 1996 | Srngara-Bhakti 1997 | Shishya | Geschichten aus dem Mahabharata 1995, 2007 | Samgama, 2001-2007 | Sivas Dance/Duett with Francis Barboza | In Between | Mithuna 2 + 4 gemini aspects in dance | Ramayana Studioperformance | Indian Love Stories/Duett with Ujwal Bhole | Krishna Studioperformance | Sivesrngara | Margam–„best of“ | Shikhandi 2011 | Bhavayami- Divali | Dance miniatur –improvisation with painting of Polina Gazhur | Shakti 2014| The Nattuvanar 2015 | Mahābhārata 2016 | SitaRama-the perfect couple 2018 | Vrksa-Der Baum 2020 | Vienna Margam 2021/22 | The untold stories 2022 |
Other activities and awards
President of the Austro Indian Association and founder of Nāṭya Mandir Association in Vienna
Decoration of the „Bundesehrenzeichens für besondere Verdienste“ by the Minister for foreign affairs Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, 2004
Awarded the title of Professor by the president of Austria Dr. Heinz Fischer, 2011
Grants by ICCR for Bharatanāṭyam 1988, Kuchipudi 2004/2005, Shikhandi Performance at Azad Bhavan 2011
Supported by Kulturamt der Stadt Wien and Ministerium für Europa Integration und Äusseres
Member of the International Dance Council CID, the official world wide organization for all forms of dance.
Online Interviews during the pandemic year
Acharya Chhau Nrutya Bichitra-Sansmaran, 26th July 2020, Kalajyoti-Alankar-Jewels of the world, 26th September 2020, Bharata Darshana-Smaran Arpanam, 20th October 2020, Dance Europe Dance Global: Berlin-Vienna and beyond 19th December 2020, Swaranjali-Sangeet Pravasi Bharatiya Nritya Mahotsava, 2nd March 2021, Sannidhya Dialogue 22, 25th April 2021.
