She was the first dancer to perform on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Human Rights Day in 1969 at the General Assembly of the United Nations, eliciting standing ovation from a spellbound audience. She has also given dance recitals at the International Opera House in Sydney, in the Adelaide Festival, the Royal Opera Festival at Stockholm, the Holland Festival in Rotterdam, the Autumn Festival in Paris and other important events at home and abroad. She has choreographed dance-dramas including Andal thiruppavai, Tagore’s Chandalika and Kavi Kunjara Bharati’s Azhagar Kuravanji and successfully revived forms like Nava Sandhi, Mela Prapti, thodaya Mangalam, Prabhandams, etc. She is the founder of a Bharatanatyam school, Natyalaya.

Smt.Vyjayanthimala bali has won various honours including the Padma Shri, the State Artist Award of the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, an honorary D.Litt. from Annamalai University and lifetime achievement award given by Filmfare magazine. She has served two terms as Member of Paliament in Lok Sabha and has later been nominated to the Rajya Sabha for her contribution in fine arts.