Artistic Director and Executive Director of the Tribhangi Dance Theatre
Festival Director of the FNB Gauteng Diwali Festival
Jayesperi Moopen is the Artistic Director of the Tribhangi Dance Theatre and is now it’s Executive Director. She has earned recognition in the dance world in South Africa for her pioneering efforts of juxtaposing and bringing together of dance to bridge the great cultural divide that is prevalent in South Africa and most countries today.
Although her chosen vocabulary of dance is South Indian Classical Dance (Bharatha Natyam), her knowledge, understanding and sensitivity of other styles of dance like traditional African, Afro-fusion, Contemporary and Ballet makes her a versatile artist who is willing to work in a challenging environment. Collaborations are her strengths as she constantly draws her inspiration from poets, musicians and visual artists thus enriching her artistic capabilities.
Her work in London exposed her to forms of dance from Trinidad, Brazil and Ghana. She was involved in organising workshops for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Peter Badejo and the Dance Theatre of Harlem in her capacity of Chairperson of Dance Alliance in Gauteng and as Administrator for the Dance Forum in London. She served on the Board of Directors for the Civic Theatre and the Sibikwa Community Theatre Project.
She is a notable force in the changing face of South African Dance and her contributions have been acknowledged through her various nominations for awards and her receiving the FNB Vita Award for Choreographer of the year in 1997.
Her productions have been invited to be performed on international arenas. Her recent production based on Lord Ganesha received huge accolades. She was assistant choreographer for FUSION a Bollywood production at the Globe Theatre, Gold Reef City.
She was responsible for writing the Syllabus for Indian Dance for the Gauteng Education Department. She sits on the Standards Generating Body for Dance in South Africa. She holds a Graduate Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma in Dance from the Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts, India and an Arts Management Diploma from Wits University. She has short course qualification in Marketing, Publicity and Proposal Writing from Arts Council of Great Britain.
As a noted choreographer she has produced work that has been invited to perform in Botswana, Burundi (Department of Arts and Culture), India (Invited by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Department of Trade and Industry), Sri Lanka, Germany, Mauritius, England, Canada , Sri Lanka , China, and Egypt (sponsored by Department of Arts and Culture) UK (Sampad, Birmingham) Jamaica (Accompanied Minister Mashatile) and Moscow (KZN Provincial Government) .
Her work is presented at important events in South Africa and have performed for Mr Mandela’s Birthday and more recently at the Presidents’ Inauguration, invitations to perform at many prestigious functions within South Africa bears testimony to the popularity of the work of the Dance Company under her guidance.
Repeated invitations to perform at the Order of the Presidents awards marks testimony to the popular brand of dance presented by the Company.
In recent months she has been nominated for two awards for Women who have made contribution to Arts and Culture in this country.
Collaborations with organisations in Toronto, Canada and Birmingham, England has earned the Company long-term projects spanning a period of three years.
More recent collaboration was with the NEELAN TRUST in Sri Lanka where we observe the strenghths of her vision to make significant changes through dance.
Her commissioned work includes pieces by Johannesburg DanceFoundation, Moving Into Dance, Sun City Extravaganza, Dance Umbrella and Bristol Dance Foundation, UK, Sampad, UK, Peepul Arts Centre, UK
The Company has travelled to India at least twice a year since 2003 as their work is well received and are included in Various festivals in Mumbai and Dehli and invitations by the SA Tourism Authority and High Commission.
She was responsible for the success of one of Gauteng’s flagship events the FNB Gauteng Diwali Festival which attracts 15,000 – 20,000 people from 2009 to 2013.
Choreographed dance sequences for Dance for Cure for the last 4 years.
Produced and Directed a collaborative production with Poko Productions which includes Shadow puppets in 2012 INTO THE LIGHT – The Story of Rama.
She produced a successful run of “Oh Golly its Bolly” at The Globe Theatre, Gold Reef City 2013.
Performed at the Beijing Festival in April 2012 sponsored by Dept. of Arts and Culture. And Burundi in July 2012 accompanying the Minister of Arts.
Her choreographed work of Indian Classical dance with African traditional dance was invited by the KZN Provincial Government to be performed in Moscow, Russia in October 2013.
Performed at the Presidents Inauguration in 2014 and World Economic Summit in 2015 in Cape Town.
Company performed at the Erasing Borders Festival in New York 2015.
Toured the UK in May 2016 in partnership with Sampad UK
Cultural Co-ordinator for PM of India Mr Modi’s visit to SA in July 2016 for event in Johannesburg