A pioneer of modern dance in India, Uday Shankar was born on this day. He blended European techniques with Indian tradition and took the new form to the global stage.
His father worked for the Maharaja of Jhalawar in Rajasthan. Uday Shankar studied at J.J. School of Arts in Bombay, and later at the Royal College of Art, London, where he studied painting under Sir William Rothenstein. In London, he met ballerina Anna Pavlova, which proved to be a turning point in his life. He performed with Pavlova in ballets that were created with Indian themes. Classical Indian art and paintings were a major influence on his dance.
He established a base in Paris. Back in India, he was greeted with enthusiasm by many, including Tagore. In Paris again, he founded his own company. He toured Europe and the US for seven years.
In 1938, he founded Uday Shankar India Cultural Centre in Simtola, near Almora, where the most renowned exponents of dance and music, including Ustad Alauddin Khan, were invited. He had gathered around himself a gifted group of dancers, including Guru Dutt, Zohra Sehgal, Ruma Guha Thakurta and Amala Nandy, his future wife. The centre closed down in a few years due to lack of funds. In 1948, he made the film Kalpana, featuring himself and his wife, Amala Shankar. It was an experimental film, shot as a dance performance.
Later he lived in Ballygunge, Calcutta. His younger brother was the sitar player Ravi Shankar. His son was musician and composer Ananda Shankar and his daughter is the dancer and actor Mamata Shankar.
