Dr Chandrabhanu’s illustrious career as a professional dance artist spans over thirty years of creative and pioneering work. His charismatic presence, the mystical depth and strength he exudes on stage, as well as his ability to communicate his art to the audience, has given him the status of being a stirring, dynamic and magical artist of the theatre. His great skill, eloquence, style and elegance are combined with depth and intellect to produce a unique artistry blending the elements of aesthetics, mysticism and scholarship. A consummate performer with the extraordinary power to turn sensuousness into a spiritual experience, he nevertheless is an intellectual pioneer, ploughing effortlessly through philosophies globally, and within this to place Indian Dance in a highly rigorous intellectual context. Yet when he is on stage he makes the audience feel so intimately familiar with his persona, so accessible to the inner spirit that his communication of the soul of his dance becomes a natural transformation experience for the spectator. He has performed to high acclaim in India, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, USA, Great Britain and the Netherlands.  

Chandrabhanu’s partnership with Geoffrey Goldie (b. 1921 – d. 2007) has produced a unique blend of art, dance and aesthetics in a holistic manner. Geoffrey Goldie was the man who inspired him and shared with him the passion for artistic expression. Their joint artistic visions and creativity have manifested into one of the most marvellous unprecedented arts experience. He is an equally inspired and visionary guru to his hundreds of dance disciples. In 1973 he established the Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy in Melbourne. The academy has become a highly dynamic cultural and community centre, and now includes the departments of Odissi, Kathak, Carnatic music, Hindustani, Odissi music and mrdangam studies. To date Chandrabhanu has presented 108 students in their Bharata-Natya and Odissi arangetrams (solo debut recital). In addition the Academy has produced several mrdanga arangetrams since 2003, and the first Veena arangetram in 2007. In 1986 Chandrabhanu established the Bharatam Dance Company, a fully professional dance ensemble supported by the Australia Council for the Arts and the Victorian Ministry for the Arts. The Company functioned for 15 years, until 2000, and toured Australia and internationally. Chandrabhanu produced over 40 full-length new works and original productions in the Bharata-Natyam, Odissi and cross-cultural contemporary genres. In its time the Company contributed to the development of dance in Australia from a multi-cultural perspective, and created a professional career pathways in dance for artists from non-English speaking backgrounds in Australia. In 1984, Chandrabhanu initiated a Dance-in-Education outreach-touring program, which took the Company to thousands of schools and communities throughout urban and regional Australia. This program gave unprecedented access to Asian dance and theatre to students and communities, who otherwise would have very little contact with Asian cultures.

In 2006 he established Jambudvipa, a production company to undertake a diversity of dance and music presentations. Chandrabhanu has been artistic director of several community dance projects, including those for the City of Melbourne and the City of Fairfield (Sydney). He has been artist-in-residence at several universities and held two fellowships at UNIMAS, Sarawak, Malaysia. He was a member of the Australia Council Dance Committee for three years. More recently he has been invited to teach at the National Arts Academy of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. In addition he presents papers and lectures regularly for several arts organizations and at university seminars. Chandrabhanu was a recipient of the prestigious Monash University Graduate Scholarship and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1981) in Social Anthropology. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal by the Australian Government on Queen’s Birthday 2006, for his services to Indian Classical Dance and the promotion of Multicultural Arts.

On a personal note, he is widely travelled, is an excellent gourmet cook, enjoys Indian and Asian classical music, and possesses a large and valuable collection of traditional textiles and woven fabrics.  

Ambika Docherty She has distinguished herself as a versatile and dynamic dancer working with Chandrabhanu’s Bharatam Dance Company from its inception. As Associate Director of the Company she was responsible for the organization of the productions of the group. She is now Deputy Director of Chandrabhanu’s Bharatalaya Academy. Ambika was trained in Bharata-Natyam and Odissi by Chandrabhanu from the age of seven. She performed her arangetram in 1982 and then worked with the Bharatam Dance Company as a full-time performer till 2001, distinguishing herself in all the works. She took up Nattuvangam studying under Chandrabhanu and has also had master classes with Guru Adyar K. Lakshman. She has spent extensive periods of study in India working both in Bharata-Natyam and Odissi. Ambika has accompanied Chandrabhanu’s solo performances in Nattuvangam throughout Australia and overseas in England, Malaysia and Singapore. She is the main tutor in Odissi at the Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy and recently was invited to tutor and direct an Odissi production by Dance Exchange Company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In addition she is an excellent stage manager and performance supervisor, as well as a costume designer and manager. In recognition of her versatility and trail of excellence she was given the Natyakala Choodamani Award as well as the Kala Ratnam Award by the Bharatalaya Academy. She holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree from Monash University.