MEET NEENA
THE POETRY OF DANCE
Bharatanatyam artiste Neena Jayarajan presented her work Tejas at the Ripe Fruit Festival recently.
Name: Neena Jayarajan. A family friend visited me in hospital when I unexpectedly was born six weeks early. Drawn to my larger than average eyes, she said Neena was the perfect name for me as it’s often associated with the Sanskrit definition of beautiful eyes. I love thinking of it as a name rooted in seeing, seeing deeply, witnessing truth, and inviting audiences to look beyond assumptions.
Currently: I recently presented my work Tejas at the Ripe Fruit Festival. Another Sanskrit word, Tejas is defined as brilliant, filled with fire, and intense power. Using the entirety of Bharatanatyam, this work challenges the traditional aesthetic and perspectives of the technique, while also honouring its complexity. With care for the form and each other arises a storytelling journey where tradition meets the contemporary, ultimately finding community. A work rooted in deep respect for the classical tradition, with reinterpretation of vocabulary, displacement of context and shifting presentation norms, all while evolving its boundaries. Tejas is storytelling, community, and connection, in dynamic conversation. Aiming to isolate and elevate gesture, rhythm, emotion, and technique, revealing its full expressive range.
My life in 50 words: I am a mother of two and a dance theatre artiste shaped by care, resilience, and quiet fire. Rooted in Bharatanatyam, my work honours lineage while gently challenging form, holding space for strength, presence, and becoming.
The dancer/choreographer in me took flight when: I realized movement could say the things words couldn’t, and that my body held stories worth sharing. After 25 years with the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, I wanted to establish my own choreographic voice, which is how Tejas was born.
The artiste in me wishes: For a more level horizon, where dancers of every background are met with care and curiosity, and where my work, and the work of many others, can live on large stages and prestigious platforms that honour risk, experimentation, and growth.
My favourite line in poetry: “I was not made with a fire in my belly so I could be put out”. – Rupi Kaur
Favourite colours: All jewel tones – which was reflected in my work Tejas and its costume choice.
Favourite designer: Rashmi Varma.
Favourite movie: The Sound of Music – a reminder that discipline, music, and courage can coexist, and that art can be both tender and quietly radical.
Favourite books/authors: Currently doing research on a piece about grief, and am reading The Weight of What’s Gone by Jenna Lowthert.
Favourite TV shows: Anything that will make me laugh.
Favourite ice cream flavour: Chocolate. Simple on the surface, but layered and deeply satisfying.
Favourite cuisine: South Indian food, particularly from Kerala. As a Malayalee girl, it always brings me home.
Favourite restaurant: Cute family-run sushi place near where I grew up, one I’ve been going to for 20-plus years, Ariake Sushi in Thornhill.
Favourite activities: Dancing and playing with my kids Sayjen (11) and Jayven (6).
I hang out: In studios, theatres, and anywhere artistes gather to dream out loud.
I’m freaked out by: Tofu. As a vegetarian this makes things difficult.
I need: Time, space, collaborators who challenge me, and audiences willing to feel.
My role models: My guru Menaka Thakkar, for her uncompromising artistry, visionary leadership, and for showing me how discipline, courage, and generosity can coexist in a life devoted to dance.
Tips to save the planet: Consume less, create thoughtfully, support local, and remember we’re borrowing and do not own this Earth
In a perfect world: Mothers would be free to excel in both art and motherhood without guilt, apology, or limitation, and care would be recognized as a source of strength, not a barrier to creative excellence.
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