‘Anjali Mehra’s vivid, breathless choreography inventively fuses English folk dances with energetic bhangra steps, the performers twirling handkerchiefs as they kick up their heels and strike exultant poses.’ Lord of the rings- a musical tale, watermill theatre, 2023. Dave fargnoli, the stage
Biography
Anjali Mehra was born in the UK, lives in South London and is of South Asian heritage. Anjali trained at Central School of Ballet, London where she won the Christopher Gable Choreographer Award. Anjali holds a Masters of Arts Degree. Anjali was recently nominated for Best Choreography for Lord of the Rings at the Broadway Theatre Awards.
Dance and Performance
As a dancer, Anjali joined Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Dance company in1999 after graduating. She has performed on and off over 20 years with the company as a guest Principal Dancer including Glenda in Play without Words, Irina in The Red Shoes, The Queen and Unsuitable Girlfriend in Swan Lake, The Stepmother in Cinderella, and Sugar in Nutcracker! Anjali has also worked and danced for Wayne McGregor, Arthur Pita, Nick Winston, Cathy Marston, Imogen Knight, Alex Reynolds, Anthony Van Last, Andrew George, Linda Dobell and Lucy Burge in musical theatre, opera, contemporary and commercial dance notably Kiss me Kate at Theatre du Chatelet, the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webbers Bombay Dreams, Victoria Apollo and in films World War Z and Alexander. Anjali happily hung up her dancing shoes to focus on her career in choreography/movement and direction in 2019.
Choreography: Direction and Movement
Highlights include: Lord of The Rings, A Musical Tale, Othello at The Watermill Theatre, Flowers for Mrs Harris at Riverside Studios, “Daddy” A Melodrama by Jeremy O.Harris at Almeida Theatre, Mavra and Pierrot Lunaire at Linbury Theatre, The Ballad of Hattie and James at The Kiln Theatre, Rumi the Musical at the London Coliseum, Judgment Day directed by Richard Jones at Park Avenue Armory, New York, Spike by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, Brief Encounter directed by Robert Kirby , Cherry Town at WNO.
Pandemic work
During the pandemic, Anjali taught movement at LAMDA and actors movement (how to embody thought and emotion) at ARTS ED. Anjali was commissioned by Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures to conceptualise, choreograph and direct a dance film with Tea films. Her film ‘little grasses crack through stone’ based on Sylvia Plath’s play: Three Women: A Poem for Three Voices has been viewed over 20,000 times and was recently shown by Sadlers Wells Theatre.
Current
USA Premiere of Lord of the Rings Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Dope Girls BBC TV series (upcoming) as Associate Choreographer, Anjali is Movement Director on World Premier of Tupperware of Ashes at The National Theatre written by Tanika Gupta and directed by Pooja Ghai starring Meera Syal. Anjali’s dance piece ‘Hum’ for New Adventures is touring the SE UK
next up
Anjali is Movement Director on upcoming opera Elixir of Love at English National Opera, directed by Harry Fehr.
Credits
‘Hum’ dance piece: New Adventures Dance Company: Doorstep Duets : Tour of SE
Choreographer and Director
Lord of the Rings- A Musical Tale : Chicago Shakespeare Theatre: Paul Hart
Choreographer and Movement Director
The Ballad of Hattie and James written by Sam Adamson : The Kiln Theatre
Movement Director
Handmaids Tale : English National Opera: Directed by Annilise
Revival Movement Director
Flowers for Mrs Harris: Riverside Studios: Directed by Bronagh Lagan
Movement Director
Lord of the Rings- A Musical Tale : Watermill Theatre : Directed by Paul Hart
Choreographer
Moving in Time : Dance Film commissioned by Matthew Bournes New Adventures and Magic Me
Director and Choreographer
Othello : Watermill Theatre
Co- Director and Choreographer
The Shadow World Musical : Workshop : directed by Rosamunde Hutt
Movement Director
Cherry Town : Welsh National Opera : directed by Daisy Evans
Choreographer
Crystalline, Glacier and Chromium Videos for Artist Dana Al Fardan
Choreographer
Pierrot Lunaire and Mavra : Linbury Theatre : directed by Anthony Almeida
Movement Director
Daddy : Almeida Theatre : directed by Danya Taymor : Jeremy O.Harris
Movement and Choreography
Spike : Watermill Theatre : directed by Paul Hart : Ian Hislop and Nick Newman
Movement Director
Rumi The Musical : The Coliseum : directed by Bronagh Lagan : Nadim Nadaam and Dana Al Fardan
Choreographer
Brief Encounter : Watermill Theatre : directed by Robert Kirby : Emma Rice
Movement Director
As you Like it : Watermill Theatre : directed by Paul Hart : Shakespeare :
Movement Director
little grasses crack through stone : film : New Adventures and Tea Films
Director and Choreographer
A Soldiers Tale : Royal College of Music and Central School of Ballet : directed by Megan Honigford Martins : Film
Choreographer
Inside Looking Out : Central School of Ballet : Second Years : Edited by Stephen Rahman Hughes : Film
Choreographer
Queen of Spades : Lyric Opera Chicago : directed by Richard Jones, revival director Ben Davis
Revival Choreographer
Park Avenue Armory : New York : Judgment Day : directed by Richard Jones
Movement Director
Melbourne International Arts Festival : The Nico Project :
Associate Choreographer
Watermill Ensemble : UK tour : Macbeth and A Midsummer Nights Dream : Directed by Paul Hart
Associate choreographer
Tate Modern : God Only Knows : Solo created for artist Kate Tiernan
Choreographer
Glyndebourne : Damnation of Faust : Directed by Richard Jones
Assistant choreographer
Windsor Castle : Leonardo Da Vinci : A promenade dance performance
Associate choreographer/director
British Youth Music Theatre : First Ladies : Directed by Gerard Jones
Choreographer
Jette Parker Young Artists at The Royal Opera House : Wilton Music Hall : La Tragedie de Carmen
Choreographer
Jette Parker Young Artists at The Royal Opera House: Wilton Music Hall : Oreste : Directed by Gerard Jones
Movement director
Sante Fe Opera : Fanciulla : Directed by Richard Jones
Revival movement director
Watford Palace Theatre : Dick Whittington : Directed by Brigid L’Amour
Choreographer