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Uday Shankar

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This article is about the dancer. For other people, seeUday Shankar (disambiguation).

Uday Shankar
Born8 December 1900
Udaipur,Udaipur State,British India
Died26 September 1977
(aged 76)
Kolkata,West Bengal,India
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer
SpouseAmala Shankar
ChildrenAnanda Shankar
Mamata Shankar
Parents
HonoursSangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship(1962)
Padma Vibhushan(1971)

Uday Shankar(bornUday Shankar Choudhary;8 December 1900 – 26 September 1977) was anIndian dancerand choreographer, best known for creating a fusion style of dance, adapting European theatrical techniques toIndian classical dance,imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, which he later popularised in India, Europe, and the United States in the 1920s and 1930s.[1][2][3][4][5]He was a pioneer ofmodern dancein India.

In 1962, he was awarded bySangeet Natak Akademi,India'sThe National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama,with its highest award, theSangeet Natak Akademi Fellowshipfor lifetime achievement, and in 1971, theGovt. of India,awarded him its second highest civilian award thePadma Vibhushan.

Early life and education[edit]

Uday Shankar Chowdhury was born in Udaipur, Rajasthan, the eldest son of anBrahminfamily with origins inNarail(present-dayBangladesh).[6]His fatherShyam Shankar Chowdhury,a noted barrister, was employed with theMaharaja of Jhalawarin Rajasthan at the time of his eldest son's birth, and his mother Hemangini Devi was descended from azamindarifamily. His father was granted the title, 'Harchowdhury' by theMaharajas,but he preferred to use the surname 'Chowdhury' minus 'Har.' Uday's younger brothers were Rajendra Shankar, Debendra Shankar, Bhupendra Shankar andRavi Shankar.Of his siblings, Bhupendra died young in 1926.[7][8]

Uday Shankar's father was a Sanskrit scholar, who graduated with honours from theUniversity of Calcuttaand later studied atOxford University,where he became a Doctor of Philosophy.[9]Because his father moved frequently on account of his work, the family spent much time in Uday's maternal uncle's house in Nasratpur with his mother and brothers. Uday's studies also took place at various locations including Nasratpur,Gazipur,Varanasi,and Jhalawar. At his Gazipur school, he learnt music and photography from Ambika Charan Mukhopaddhay, his Drawing and Crafts teacher.[9]

In 1918, at the age of eighteen, he was sent to Mumbai to train at theJ. J. School of Artand then toGandharva Mahavidyalaya.[10]By now, Shyam Shankar had resigned his post in Jhalawar and moved to London. Here he married an English woman and practised law, before becoming an amateurimpresario,introducing Indian dance and music to Britain. Subsequently, Uday joined his father in London, and on 23 August 1920, joined theRoyal College of Art,London to study painting under SirWilliam Rothenstein.He danced at a few charity performances that his father had organized in London, and on one such occasion, noted Russian ballerinaAnna Pavlovahappened to be present. This was to have a lasting impact on his career.[5]

Career[edit]

Uday Shankar andAnna Pavlovain the famous 'Radha-Krishna' ballet, 1923.

Uday Shankar did not have any formal training in any of theIndian classical danceforms. Nevertheless, his presentations were creative.[11]From a young age, he had been exposed to both Indian classical dance and folk dance, as well as to ballet during his stay in Europe. He decided to bring elements of both styles together to create a new dance, which he called Hi-dance. He went on to translate classical Indian dance forms and theiriconographyto dance movements, after studying theRajput paintingandMughal paintingstyles at the British Museum. Further, during his stay in Britain, he came across several performing artists, subsequently when he left for Rome on the 'Prix de Rome' scholarship of the French Government, for advanced studies in art.

Soon his interaction with such artists grew and so did the idea to transform Indian dance into a contemporary form. The turning point came with his first meetings with legendary RussianballerinaAnna Pavlova. She was looking for artists to collaborate on India-based themes. This led to the creation of ballets based on Hindu themes, 'Radha-Krishna', a duet with Anna, and 'Hindu Wedding', for inclusion in her production, 'Oriental Impressions'. The ballet was presented at theRoyal Opera House,Covent Garden,in London. Later he continued to conceive and choreograph ballets, including one based on theAjanta Cavesfrescoes,which was performed across the United States.[12]In time his style of dance came to be known as 'Hi-dance', though later he called it 'Creative dance'.[13]

He worked with Anna for one and a half years, before starting out on his own in Paris.

'Uday Shankar Ballet Troupe', ca (1935–37).

Shankar returned to India in 1927, along with a French pianist, Simon Barbiere, who was now his disciple and dance partner, and a Swiss sculptor,Alice Boner,who wanted to study Indian art history. He was welcomed byRabindranath Tagorehimself, who also persuaded him to open a performing arts school in India.

On his return to Paris in 1931, he founded Europe's firstIndian dancecompany, along withAlice Boner,who by now had become one of his disciples. Together with musicians Vishnu Dass Shirali and Timir Baran, he created a new template for music to accompany his newly devised movements. His first series of dance performances were held on 3 March 1931, at theChamps-Elysees Theatrein Paris, which was to become his base as he toured through Europe.[14]

Soon he embarked on a seven-year tour through Europe and America with his own troupe, which he called – 'Uday Shankar and his Hindu Ballet', under the aegis ofimpresarioSol HurokandCelebrity Series of Bostonof impresario,Aaron Richmond.He performed in the United States for the first time in January 1933 in New York City, along with his dance partner Simkie, a French dancer. As part of the visit, a reception was held at theGrand Central Art Galleries.[15]After,[when?]Shankar and his troupe set out on an 84-city tour throughout the country.[16][17]

His adaptation of Europeantheatrical techniquesto Indian dance made his art hugely popular both in India and abroad, and he is rightly credited for ushering in a new era for traditional Indian temple dances, which until then had been known for their strict interpretations, and which were also going through their own revival. Meanwhile, his brother Ravi Shankar was helping to populariseIndian classical musicin the outside world.

Kalpana,1948 film showing Uday Shankar and Amala Shankar

In 1936, he was invited byLeonard Knight Elmhirst,who had earlier assistedRabindranath Tagorein buildingSriniketan,close toShanti Niketan,to visitDartington Hall,Totnes, Devon for a six-month residency, with his troupe and lead dancer, Simkie. Also present there were Michel Chekhov, nephew of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, the German modern dancer-choreographer,Kurt Joossand another GermanRudolf Laban,who had invented a system ofdance notation.This experience only added more exuberance to hisexpressionist dance.[18]

In 1938, he made India his base, and established the 'Uday Shankar India Cultural Centre', at Simtola, 3 km fromAlmora,inUttarakhandHimalayas,and invited Sankaran Namboodri forKathakali,Kandappa Pillai forBharatanatyam,Ambi Singh forManipuriandUstad Allauddin Khanfor music. Soon, he had a large assemblage of artists and dancers, includingGuru Dutt,Shanti Bardhan, Simkie, Amala, Satyavati, Narendra Sharma,Ruma Guha Thakurta,Prabhat Ganguly,Zohra Sehgal,Uzra,Lakshmi Shankar,Shanta Gandhi;his own brothers Rajendra, Debendra and Ravi also joined him as students. The centre, however, closed after four years in 1942, due to a paucity of funds. As his students dispersed, he regrouped his energies and headed South, where he made his only film,Kalpana(Imagination) in 1948, based on his dance, in which both he and his wife Amala Shankar danced. The film was produced and shot atGemini Studios,Madras.[19]In 2008, the film was digitally restored by theCineteca di Bologna,in association with TheFilm Foundation’sWorld Cinema Projectand theNational Film Archive of India,among others.[20]

Uday Shankar settled inBallygunge,Kolkatain 1960, where the "Uday Shankar Center for Dance" was opened in 1965. In 1962, he was awarded the highest award of theSangeet Natak Akademi,theSangeet Natak Akademi Fellowshipfor his lifetime contribution toIndian dance.

Personal life[edit]

Uday is the elder brother ofRavi Shankar.He married his dance partner,Amala Shankar,and together they had a son,Ananda Shankar,born in 1942, and a daughter,Mamata Shankar,born in 1955. Ananda Shankar became a musician and composer who trained with Dr.Lalmani Misrarather than with his uncle, Ravi Shankar, and in time became known for his fusion music, encompassing both European and Indian music styles. Mamata Shankar, a dancer like her parents, became a noted actress, working in films bySatyajit RayandMrinal Sen.She also runs the 'Udayan Dance Company' in Kolkata, and travels extensively through the world.[21]

Legacy[edit]

Uday Shankar on a 1978 stamp of India

Uday (b. 1900, d. 1977) and Amala Shankar (b. 1919, d. 2020) decided to open Uday Shankar India Culture Centre (named after Uday Shankar's Almora centre for dance) in Kolkata in 1965, where Amala Shankar remained the Director-in-Charge, from the day of its inception. She was awarded thePadma Bhushanin 1991. The school continued until 2015, remaining dedicated to carrying on with Shankar's ideas about processes of innovative and creative dance making.

Shankar's followers and associates include Shanti Bardhan, creator ofRamayanaballets presentations,Guru Dutt,one of India's finest film directors,Lakshmi Shankar,a noted classical singer,Zohra Sehgal,who performed on the stage, television, and the cinema both in India and in Britain.[18]

The Uday Shankar Sarani at Tollygunge area of Kolkata.

In December 1983, his younger brother,sitarplayer Ravi Shankar organised a four-day festival,Uday-Ustav Festivalin New Delhi, marking the 60th anniversary of his professional debut in 1923, highlighted by performances by his disciples, films, an exhibition and orchestral music composed and orchestrated by Ravi Shankar himself.[3]The centenary celebrations of his birth were formally launched at theUNESCOheadquarters in Paris on 26 April 2001, where dancers, choreographers and scholars from all over the world assembled to pay homage to Uday Shankar.[14]
In theTollygungearea of south Kolkata, the Golf Club road has been renamed to Uday Shankar Sarani.[22]

Awards[edit]

See also[edit]

Selected discography[edit]

  • The Original Uday Shankar Company of Hindu Musicians, Recorded During the Historic 1937 Visit to the United States,instrumental ensemble:Vishnudass Shirala,Sisir Sovan,Rabindra (Ravi Shankar),Dulal Sen,Nagen Dey,Brijo Behari
    • Indian Music: Ragas and Dances,The Original Uday Shankar Company of Hindu Musicians. Recorded during the historic 1937 visit to the United States. RCA/Victrola VIC-1361 (1968 reissue, 10 tracks: 4 ragas, 5 dances, 1bhajan)
    • Ravi Shankar: Flowers of IndiaEl Records (2007), containing all tracks from the original album[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^Uday ShankarEncyclopædia Britannica
  2. ^"Uday Shankar: a tribute",The Hindu,21 December 2001.
  3. ^abDANCE VIEW; ONE OF INDIA'S EARLY AMBASSADORSNew York Times,6 October 1985.
  4. ^Sukanta Choudhary (1990)Calcutta, the Living City: The present and future.Oxford University Press. p. 280.
  5. ^abReginald Massey (2004)India's dances: their history, technique, and repertoire.Abhinav Publications.ISBN81-7017-434-1.pp. 221–225. Ch. 21.
  6. ^Kothari, Sunil (27 December 2018)."Reliving the classic film Kalpana by dance great Uday Shankar".The Asian Age.Retrieved16 January2022.
  7. ^Family TreeMamta ShankarDance Company, website.
  8. ^Biography of Ravi ShankarRamon Magsaysay Awardwebsite.
  9. ^abUday Shankar Biographycatchcal.com.
  10. ^Islam, Sirajul (2012)."Uday Shankar".InIslam, Sirajul;Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.).Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh(Second ed.).Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  11. ^Sunil Kothari(2000)Uday Shankar:An Appreciation.Natya Kala Conference
  12. ^Nayana Bhat (26 September 2007)The Uday Shankar story.narthaki.com
  13. ^Ballet Legacy.The Times of India,22 March 2003.
  14. ^abUNESCO observes grand centenary functions in Paris.Rediff.com,27 April 2001.
  15. ^Grand Central Art Galleries, 1934 yearbook
  16. ^Largest TourTime, 30 October 1933.
  17. ^Dancer from Hindustan.Time,9 January 1933.
  18. ^abCelebrating Creativity: Life & Work of Uday ShankarIGNCA
  19. ^Uday ShankaratIMDb
  20. ^World Cinema Project (2008)."Kalpana".www.film-foundation.org.Retrieved6 July2021.
  21. ^Mohd. Anis Md. Nor (2007)Dialogues in dance discourse: creating dance in Asia Pacific.Cultural Centre, University of Malaya. p. 63.ISBN983-2085-85-3.
  22. ^"Kolkata (Calcutta) Street Road Name Change."Calcuttawe
  23. ^Creative DanceArchived5 October 2008 at theWayback MachineSangeet Natak Akademi AwardOfficial listings.
  24. ^The Flowers of India – acmem117cdArchived21 November 2010 at theWayback MachineCherry Red Records.

28. Sarkar Munsi, Urmimala (2011). 'Imag(in)ing The Nation: Uday Shankar's Kalpana' inTraversing Traditions: Celebrating Dance in India.Eds. Urmimala Sarkar Munsi & Stephanie Burridge. Routledge: India, UK, USA. pp. 124–150.

29. Sarkar Munsi, Urmimala (2010). 'Boundaries and Beyond: Problems of Nomenclature in Indian Dance' inDance: Transcending Borders.Ed. Urmimala Sarkar Munsi.Tulika Books:Delhi. pp. 78–98.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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