Dance in India has a relatively short history. Since the perception
of 'modern' or 'contemporary' can vary from dancer to dancer, this
dance form cannot be defined as easily as the classical dance styles
of India. It is also not codified in a detailed manner, as are the
who was born in the early years of the 20th century, is widely accepted
as the Father of Modern Dance in India. This great dancer had a very
wide vision, and he appreciated the wonderful variety and scope of
expression afforded by the different classical and folk dances extant
in the country.
for a personal expression led him to incorporate different dance styles,
such as Bharata Natyam and Kathakali into his choreographic productions.
He established an idyllic institution in the hills of Kumaon, where
he invited teachers from different genres to train his troupe in order
to groom their bodies to a state where they could produce a varied,
rich and contemporary dance vocabulary. Uday Shankar was an idealist
as well as a wonderful showman. He was a catalyst in the renaissance
of interest in Indian arts during the 1930s and '40s, and he introduced
audiences in the West to Indian dance and music through the performances
of his troupe.
Some of Uday
Shankar's famous works include the innovative ballet, 'Labour and
Machinery' and a path breaking film, 'Kalpana,' on the theme of dance.
established by Uday Shankar is now defunct, but his legacy survives
in the work of his children and his many disciples, who have their
own troupes and students. Today, in addition to the line established
by Uday Shankar, there are other practitioners of Modern Dance in
India who belong to other schools.
Dr Manjushree Chaki-Sarkar created a dance idiom which she called
Nava Nrityam. With her daughter Ranjabati Sarkar and their troupe
based in Calcutta she did a great deal of research and codification
of the dance style and presented a large number of choreographic productions.
The untimely death of Ranjabati and of her mother Manjushree Chaki-Sarkar
was a tragic loss for the world of contemporary dance.
growing interaction between dance practitioners all over the country
and the world, and awareness of important contemporary issues, many
classical dancers have also stepped into the realm of contemporary dance
through exploration of one or many dance styles. Often martial arts
such as Kalaraipayattu of Kerala and Chhau of eastern India are incorporated
into dance choreography, lending greater vigour and variety to the artistic