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Come, meet our artists, share our dreams and get to know what we do for the arts and the community.
JANAK KHENDRY DANCE COMPANY was started in 1978 in New York City and was incorporated as a non-profit, charitable organization in 2001 in Toronto.
JANAK KHENDRY DANCE COMPANY, a professional dance company is dedicated to creating rare, unique and outstanding dance expressions. THE COMPANY creates classical, traditional and innovative works for presentation to diverse communities in Canada and abroad in order to create a positive cultural exchange of information. THE COMPANY members travel abroad as Indo-Canadian Cultural Ambassadors to propagate the Diversity of cultures and the Unity of the Canadian society. THE COMPANY was established in 1978 in New York and in 1981 was registered in Canada and acquired its NON-PROFIT CHARITABLE status in 2001. THE COMPANY is celebrating its THIRTYFIRST ANNIVERSARY. The mandate of THE COMPANY is to work with the dancers of different dance disciplines of different cultural backgrounds.
An internationally renowned professional Indo-Canadian dance company is dedicated to creating and presenting excellent Indian classical traditional and innovative dance works for the presentation to diverse communities in Canada and abroad in order to establish a positive cultural exchange of information. The Company has its spring and fall performance seasons in Toronto and travels in Canada, the United States, India, Mexico, South Africa and South East Asia. The Company members travel abroad as Canada's cultural ambassadors to propagate the Diversity of cultures and the Unity of Canadian society.
In 1994 THE COMPANY was commissioned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to create and present a major work "STHULIBHADRA and KOSHA" in conjunction with a special exhibition "PEACEFUL LIBERATORS". In 1995 THE COMPANY was invited to perform the same work at the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas and New Orleans Museum of Art, where the exhibition traveled. Also in 1995 two important works "SURYA" and "MOODS OF THE RHYTHMS" were presented at CBC-Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. ‘MOODS OF THE RHYTHMS’ has been performed in eleven cities. In 1997 a very important, three hours long work, "PANCHAKALYANAKA – From the Life of MAHAVIRA" was created and presented at the Premiere Dance Theatre in Toronto. Later the same work was presented in Philadelphia at the International Jaina Conference, which was attended by a record audience of nine thousand people.
MOODS OF THE RHYTHM |
Two very important works "GAYATRI" in 1998 and "WOMEN LIBERATED" in 2000 were sponsored and presented by the Centre for South Asian Studies, University of Toronto at the Hart House Theatre. "GAYATRI" has had twenty six performances in four countries. In 2002 THE COMPANY presented four new works under the title "THE GODS ARE DANCING" at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. In December, 2004 The Company presented a major production "UPANISHAD" with fourteen dancers of five different dance disciplines at the Premiere Dance Theatre in Toronto. In 2006 two new works CHANDRAKAUNS" and ‘DREAM OF A DRUNKEN GOD" were created and presented at the Premiere Dance Theatre.
GAYATRI |
In September 2009 "GANGA" with nineteen dancers of seven different dance disciplines, was presented at the Fleck Dance Theatre.
GANGA |
In 2010 the company will present KAAL-TIME, based on the concept of time and time before time. Milton’s ‘PARADISE LOST" is being researched and is scheduled to be presented 2011. All major works THE COMPANY presents require between two to four years of research period. There are more than one hundred and thirty works in Company’s repertoire.
THE COMPANY was invited by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, with the co-sponsorship of the Embassies of India and Canada to perform on April 28th, 2006 in Mexico City. On May 29th, 2006. The Company represented Canada at the International Dance Day in Mexico. In October 2008 THE COMPANY was invited to participate in an Arts Festival – SHARED HISTORIES – a joint project of the Governments of India and South Africa and co-sponsored by the Embassies of Canada and India and performed in Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Johannesburg.
In the last five years The Company has performed in Toronto, Calgary, London, Ottawa and Halifax in Canada; Los Angeles, New Orleans, Forth Worth, Chicago, Philadelphia and Buffalo in the Unites States, Bombay, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Madras, Hyderabad, Luchnow, Haridwar, New Delhi, Chandighar, Patiala and Amritsar in India; Myanmar, Singapore, Mexico City in Mexico; Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Johannesburg in South Africa.
GRANTS: The Company is recipient of several important grants – The Ontario Trillium Foundation; The Canada Council for the Arts; The Canadian Heritage; The Ontario Arts Council; The Toronto Arts Council; The Laidlaw Foundation; The Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation; The Year of Asia Pacific; The Yehan Numata Programme in Buddhist Studies, University of Toronto and The Toronto Metropolitan Cultural Affairs.
The Company has seven aspiring and established dancers. The Artistic Director of the company encourages them to be individual artists and constantly challenges their artistic capabilities. The Company hires outside professional dancers, when needed for special projects.
CHANDRAKAUNS | DREAM OF A DRUNKEN GOD |
The JANAK KHENDRY DANCE COMPANY has a Board of Directors, which brings a wide range of experiences from the fields of art, education, journalism, business and law.
PRESIDENT:
Senator – Dr. Asha Seth
VICE PRESIDENT:
Mr. Hyder Syed
Real Estate
LEGAL ADVISOR:
Mr. Stephen Smith
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
Mr. Janak Khendry
Choreographer/Dancer
DIRECTOR:
Dr. Arun Seth
DIRECTOR:
Dr. Naren Wagle
Professor Emeritus, U of T
DIRECTOR:
Mrs. Shylee Someshwar
DIRECTOR:
Mr. Harish Uppal
DIRECTOR:
Dr. Gargi Bhatia
Music Directors - India:
ASHIT DESAI
Music Director - Canada:
ERIC CADESKY
TIMOTHY SULLIVAN
Research Advisor
Dr. TULSIRAM SHARMA
Computer Administration, Web Design
Mr. EDWARD KASTRAU
Mr. MICHAEL RIPLEY/BELIEVE IT DESIGN WORKS
Lighting Designer
Mr. BRADLEY TRENAMAN
Bookkeeping and Accounting
Ms. HOLLY DENNISON
Photographer
DAVID HOU
TYLER ANDERSON
Music by: ASHIT DESAI
"STHULIBHADRA and KOSHA"
"PANCHAKALYANAKA" Lyrics - MEHUL THAKAR
"SOUNDS of the HILLS" Flute - RONU MAZUMDAR
"WOMEN LIBERATED"
"UPANISHAD" Research Advisor: Dr. TULSIRAM SHARMA
"AGNI and INDRA"
"SURRENDER"
"CHANDRA KAUNS"
"GANGA"
"KAAL-TIME"
Music by: Dr. SHIVA
"SURYA"
"MOODS of the RHYTHMS"
"DANCING to the FLUTE"
Music by: GOVINDRAJAN BROTHERS
(VASU, ELLANGO and RAGHU)
"GAYATRI"
"MEGHADUTTAM"
"GITA GOVIND"
Music by: TIMOTHY SULLIVAN
"THE DREAM of a DRUNKEN GOD" Script: GREGORY KELLY