The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
2024 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Sanjib Bhattacharya
Indian Dancer, Choreographer Movements in MotionDance EducationBio
Sanjib Bhattacharya, recipient of President’s Awards from Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in 2006 and Smt. Pratibha Patil in 2011 is an accomplished Manipuri Dance Exponent, Guru and well-known Choreographer of India and abroad. He has received his training under the tutelage of Guru Bipin Singh, Padmashri Darshana Jhaveri, Kalavati Devi, Manjushree Chaki Sircar and Mamata Shankar. He is currently an established performer of great repute having extensively performed across India and abroad. He is not only performing as a solo artist, but is also performing with eminent Gurus and Icons of Indian Classical dances like Padmavibhushan Sonal Mansingh, Padmashri Darshana Jhaveri, Padmashri Ranjana Gauhar, Sadanam Balakrishnan and other eminent gurus all over India and abroad. He runs several dance academies and institutions in India and Abroad while conducting Lecture Demonstrations and workshops regularly across the Globe. Currently Sanjib is living in US and teaching, performing, conducting workshop lecture demonstration, collaboration with the local Indian and multicultural community in US and CANADA, regularly creating a unique global choreographic presentation based on his Manipuri and Indian contemporary dance techniques as an Extraordinary Artist sponsored by Rainey Institute Cleveland.
Major Performances in India:
Khajuraho Dance Festival, Konark Festival, Uday Shankar Festival, Kalke Kalakar Sammelan, Swami Haridas Sammelan, Ghungroo Festival, Swarna Mritya Pratibha, Kalaghora Festival, World Dance Week, Nisha Gandhi Festival, Prayag Festival, ISKCON Temple Festival, India Habitat Centre, Sangeet Natak Academy, Epicenter, Homi Bhava Centre, Indian Festival, Spicmacay Festival, Kali Dasa Samaroh, Sharangadeva Samaroh, National Centre For Performing Arts, Sirpur National Dance Festival, Elephanta Dance Festival, Ninad Concert Series, Bhawans Dance Festival, Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, Mahabalipuram Dance Festival, Kapaleshwar Temple, Guru Debaprasad Nritya Parampara Festival, Mudra National Dance Festival, South Asian Games 2016 – Olympic Council of India, Lal Mati Utsav (Mumbai), Viswabharati (Shantiniketan), Shishir Mancha (Kolkata), Natanikkan (Jalpaiguri), Kalakunj Studio, Vidya Aranyam Mandap (Aurangabad), Omkareshwar Devasthan (Pune), and many others.
Major Performances Abroad:
Raas Utsav (Bangladesh), Rath Yatra Festival (Los Angeles, USA), Manipuri Dance Vision (Los Angeles), Festival of Helsinki (Finland), Festival of Indo-Polish Collaboration (Poland), Kala Bharti(Montreal, Canada), University of Pittsburgh (USA), Nandanik Dance Academy (USA), Nritya Creations (USA), Duquesne University (USA), Natya Academy (USA), NABC (USA), NABA (USA), Palace (Bangkok). Indischer Tranzakademi (Frankfurt, Germany), Indian Embassy(Berlin, Germany), Vedic Association(Bibliothe, Rome, Italy), Yoga Festival(Rome, Italy), ICCR Festival(Nepal), Duffy Liturgical Dance Ensemble(USA), United Methodist Church(USA), Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre (USA), International Performances(Rainey Institute, USA), Cubberley Community Centre(San Jose, USA), Natanda International Dance Festival(Colombo, Sri Lanka), Parade-de Circle(Cleveland museum of Arts, USA), Nritya Creations (USA), Nandanik Dance Academy (USA), American Cancer Society (USA), Negative Studio (Cleveland, USA), A2D Studio (USA), Nritya Dance Academy (USA), International Ballet Theatre Academy (USA), Priya Living Senior Living Centre (USA), Kalavedika Studio (California, USA), California State University East Bay Main Theatre (USA), Andrew Carnegie Free library Hall (USA), Music Settlement and St John’s Church (USA), Shore Cultural Centre (USA), Open Space Studio (USA), Sammamish High School Performing Arts Centre (USA), ISKCON Temple (Columbus), Kussum Mahotsav (New Jersey), Movements In Motion (California), Manipuri Community Studio (USA), iGurukul Studio (California), Santa Clara County Fairgrounds (California), Abbey Theatre (Dublin, Ohio), Navanritya Studio (Philadelphia), Dance For Cure (Pittsburgh, USA), Music Settlement (USA), CSA (Cleveland), Lions Of The Desert Studio (USA), St. Aloysius Church (USA), Pineridge Community Hall (USA), Bengali Cultural Society (USA), Franklin Park (Columbus), Play House Square (USA), En-Acts Studio (USA), Worthington Yards Studio (USA), Gujrati Samaj (USA), Saraswati Hall (USA), The Federation of Indian Association (USA), Doughertary Performing Arts Centre (USA), Marymoor Park (USA), Santa Clara Fairgrounds (USA), Cubberley Theatre (USA), Helen Marshall Cultural Centre (New York), Dance Tantra Studio (USA), Vedic Culture Centre (Seattle), Cuyahoga County Library (USA), Scottish Rite Masonic Museum (Boston), Laxmi Hall (USA), Cleveland Heights Studio (USA), Vilaya Festival (USA), NABC (Las Vegas), Kala Bharti (Montreal, Canada), The Natyanjali Dance Festival of Canada and many more.
Performances and Workshops in China, Japan, Mongolia, Thailand, Bangkok, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Philippines, Indonesia, England, Scotland, USA, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and many others.
Major Achievements and Awards:
• Recipient of Two President Awards from Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in 2006 and Smt. Pratibha Patil in 2011 for Excellence in Manipuri Dance.
• Received the Senior Scholarship Award from the Ministry of H.R.D. Dept. of Culture, New Delhi, for three years from 1994 to 1997.
• Received Production Grant to create “Udhukhal Rass” for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Indian Independence from H.R.D. Dept. of Culture, New Delhi.
• Received the Title Award “Singarmoni” from Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai, in 1997.
• Received the Title Award “Nartan Visharad” from Manipuri Nartanalaya, Kolkata, in the year 1998.
• Received the award of Junior Fellowship for two years for the project “Tandava Lasya” from the Dept. of
Culture H.R.D. New Delhi.
• Received Production Grant from the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, New Delhi, for the Productions “Jeevan Darpan” and “Poonascha.”
• Regularly performing in a lead role with Padmavibhushan Sonal Mansingh in her various productions like “Krishna”, “Swaralayamadhuri”, “Kumarsambhavam”, “Nayika”, etc.
• Selected as the Indian dance representative for the prestigious Asia Pacific Cultural Exchange Programme organized and hosted by The University of California, Los Angeles.
• Invited by Kala Bharti (Montreal, Canada) for a two month project on “How to develop Multiple Intelligence through Dance” under the title “Dance & Child.”
• Invited by Viva Cultura Foundation (Poland) to conduct an eighteen city tour consisting of 50 performances and 40 workshops.
• Received the Title Award “Natyashree”, “Nritya Jyothi”, “Nrutya Kowmudhi”, “Gopi Krishna”,”Nritya Kumara” and many more.
• International Artiste Residency Program Asia Pacific Cultural Exchange Program (APPEX) held at University of California, Los Angeles, USA by World Dance Department in 2006
• Dance and Child Project from Kalabharati, Montreal, Canada in 2006 Creative Fusion International Artiste Residency
Program, Cleveland Foundation, Ohio, USA in 2012
• Invited by Duffy Liturgical Dance Company for Indo-Afro-American Dance Project Artiste Residency Program, Cleveland in 2014 Educational Documentary Films
• Performed in Dance Documentary based on Environmental Issues, Pegasus Theatre, Oxford, England 1991
• Performed in Dance Documentary based on Environmental Issues for Educational Archives, IGNOU, Delhi, India 2010 Work with NGOs and Devotional Service in India and Abroad
• Choreographic Productions, Lecture Demonstrations and Workshops for different Organization, Hindu Temple and Church for the upliftment of the street children, blind children, orphanage, old age home, Priest`s and Devotees in India and Abroad.
• Received Award of Recognition from American Natya Festival, St. Louis.
• Received Award of Appreciation for performance in The Natyanjali Dance Festival of Canada, 2019 from Sri Anagha Datta Society of Calgary.
• Received Award of Appreciation for performance in INDIA DAY PARADE from The Federation of Indian Associations, New York
International Artiste Residency Program
• Asia Pacific Cultural Exchange Program (APPEX) held at University of California, Los Angeles, USA by World Dance Department in 2006
• Dance and Child Project from Kalabharati, Montreal, Canada in 2006
• Creative Fusion International Artiste Residency Program, Cleveland Foundation, Ohio, USA in 2012
• Invited by Duffy Liturgical Dance Company for Indo-AfroAmerican Dance Project Artiste Residency Program, Cleveland in 2014
Educational Documentary Films
• Performed in Dance Documentary based on Environmental Issues, Pegasus Theatre, Oxford, England 1991
• Performed in Dance Documentary based on Environmental Issues for Educational Archives, IGNOU, Delhi, India 2010
Work with NGOs and Devotional Service in India and Abroad
• Choreographic Productions, Lecture Demonstrations and Workshops for different Organization, Hindu Temple and Church for the upliftment of the street children, blind
children, orphanage, old age home, Priest`s and Devotees in India and Abroad.
List of Media Links:
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmpvAtkh1e8
o http://www.jorgevismara.net/appex/2006/index2.html
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCaU4H-Ja-I
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-b4tkEjcQ4
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SCdyNAq6Hs
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJvE77iufVI
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnmPYu21fqo
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gONcXpDAuwk
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSogQYsFTnI
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JIy-F7VuS4
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA0vaXMgPQ8
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Fcwgs7MAE
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiSQ0ZUFVN4
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpKMnzAaEK8
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv-vUTip4LM
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFzmsZCE3j8
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3LZnYlFtkY
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypz3rnEtad0
o https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157628821192915&id=614617914
o https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157571879938874&id=813088873
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck9mkrPlY1E
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybmNsgezSkM
o https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157397055563874&id=813088873
o https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156768045778874&id=813088873
o https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156764512958874&id=813088873
o https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156274371043874&id=813088873
o https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1665712146811364&id=172758069440120
o https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1683507468365165&id=172758069440120
Artist Statement
As an artist and choreographer, my artistic principles and vision for new choreography are two-fold. The first is to explore the possibilities of dance as a universal means of expression across all cultures, and to collaborate and create a new vocabulary of movement. The other is based on the principles of dance as a means to offer physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Through my rigorous training, I have perfected the techniques and aesthetics of my art form. However, as an artist, I am acutely sensitive to the way art can raise awareness and foster change. I conceptualize dance as a global unifier, and believe it is the artist’s responsibility to explore and reveal similarities in our values, experiences, and dreams. This can encourage greater empathy and connection between races, religions, cultures, and orientations. As such, over the course of my career as a choreographer, I have extensively conversed and collaborated with artists from different genres and disciplines to tell stories and explore issues that are relevant to our existence and our times. In doing so, I strive to blur lines of division.
This philosophy, for instance, led to the conceptualization, choreography, and performance of “Rasa,” a collaborative dance project at Cleveland Public theater. A confluence of four theatrical dance movements – Indian classical, American modern, martial arts, and liturgical dance – it featured Antara Datta, Jay-J Graham, Edna Duffy, and myself. Based on the ancient Indian conceptualization of emotions and aesthetics, it explored the nine “Rasa” or emotions – Disgust, Fear, Anger, Valor, Laughter, Love, Compassion, Surprise, and Peace. Set to global music and poetry by Nobel Laureates Maya Angelou and Rabindranath Tagore, the project showcased the spectrum of human emotions while focusing on emotional and spiritual balance.
My other vision is to open up the possibilities of dance to anyone interested in moving. The recent time of isolation made me quietly introspect regarding the potential of movements to heal, and redesign my work in a sustainable way. Last year, I opened up my online classes to students of all ages, backgrounds and levels of training. The tremendous response from participants encouraged me to develop Dance-Sutra, an online program that conceptualizes dance as dynamic meditation. The entire program is conducted online, and while it has a basic structure of progressive footwork, hand gestures, and breathing techniques, it can be tailored to the needs, goals, and preferences of the individual student. Based on the principles of dance as healing, the program focuses on techniques in strength, posture, balance, coordination, and meditation. The aim to have enduring impact on fitness, mood improvement, and overall well-being, which is crucial in these trying times.
While I appreciate the exclusivity of dance as an art form, I think its greatest value lies in how it can explore and express the universal human experience. I thus try to engage in my artistic practice not merely as a form of entertainment, but also as a repository and canvas for engagement, enlightenment, and empowerment.