Performing arts in India have always acquired a significant status and are considered to be a marker of a rich cultural heritage, encompassing a vibrant set of art forms. In this diverse tapestry, dance remains one of the integral art forms, consisting of classical dances and folk dance traditions. Being associated with this art form, Uday Shankar (1900-1977) was a visionary figure known for his contributions as a dancer and choreographer and also regarded as the father of modern Indian dance. Widely renowned for his creation of a fusion-style dance, Shankar’s artistic vision made his unique dance style popular on a global scale. In this article, I will delve into the life of Uday Shankar and his contributions to the realm of dance.
Introduction: Shankar’s Early Years
Born in Udaipur, Rajasthan, he belonged to a Bengali family with its roots in present-day Bangladesh. Shankar’s father, Shyam Shankar Chowdhury, was a lawyer by profession who worked for the then Maharaja of Jhalawar, and his mother belonged to a renowned Zamindari family. Uday, along with his brothers, stayed with their maternal uncle in a village called Nazratpur near Varanasi, as his father had to relocate from one place to another. Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro, was his brother. Uday’s life, also for a brief period, was not fixed; he stayed in Ghaziapur, Varanasi, and Nazratpur, which shaped his cultural outlook. In Ghaziapur and Varanasi, Uday found himself inclined towards painting. Shankar received his lessons from Ambika Charan Mukhopadhyay, who sought to nurture his artistic visions and sensibilities.
In his early years, Shankar was often mesmerized by the Holi celebration of the Chamar community. The lively dance performances of the people with musical rhythms grabbed his attention. He was not fond of any formal or institutionalized learning and thus engaged himself in many activities like painting, music, photography, and so on. When Shankar was 18 years of age, the Maharaja of Jhalawar was very much fascinated by his knack for art and painting, and so, instructed his father to send him to Sir J.J. School of Art to pursue a course in painting in 1918. Then, in 1920, Shankar, along with his father, moved to London, where he attended the prestigious Royal College of Art to cement his artistic skills further. This was the period, during which, Shankar’s encounter with Western cultural practices, influenced him in a creative way.
Europe Diaries: The Shift in Career
During his academic tenure at the Royal College, Shankar came under the influence of William Rothenstein, whose guidance led him to explore the Indian culture even more. The British Museum was the place where Shankar spent a considerable amount of time, delving into Indian scriptures and sculptures of gods and goddesses. Organized by his father, Shankar performed for the first time at a charity event as an Indian dancer, although he did not have any professional training in dance. His connection with Anna Pavlova (a well-known Russian ballerina) began from this event. Both of them collaborated to present an orientalist fusion style of dance, that is, combining ballet with Indian themes. The “Hindu Wedding”, “Krishna-Radha”, and “Ajanta Cave Frescoes” were some of the instances where both of them worked collectively. Shankar became a part of Pavlova’s troupe and toured across Europe and America. Shankar’s early dance performances were very much in tune with the orientalist project of the West, which catered to the conception of a romantic past of the Orient.
After a few years, Shankar broke away from Anna’s troupe and returned to India in 1927, where he was even advised by Rabindranath Tagore to form his own group. During this stay in India, Shankar visited several heritage sites, sculptures and temples of India that instilled a kind of cultural appreciation in him. He went on to form his troupe in 1931 in Paris. Adelaide and Sokie, who were also a part of Anna’s troupe, became involved in Shankar’s project of creating a distinctive idiom of dance. Shankar, along with eminent personalities like Alice Boner, Timir Baran, and Vishnu Sharali, toured across various places in America and Europe for the next seven years under the name of “Uday Shankar and His Hindu Ballet”. In 1933, the troupe performed in America, where the ecstatic performance of “Tandava-Nritya” of Shiva was held, introducing it to the Americans. During this time, Shankar took the effort to establish a sort of “Indianized” image in front of the Western audiences, blending the Indian mysticism with Western techniques. He sought to revive the dance forms in a new way by adopting a sort of “cultural synthesis”. The dance form came to be known as “Hi-Dance” or “Creative Dance” in contemporary times.
Forging Creative Dance Forms: Further Innovations and Visions
Shankar came to India in 1938 with an urge to establish a formal institution to popularize his dance form. With Rabindranath Tagore’s blessings, he set up the Uday Shankar India Cultural Centre in Almora, Uttarakhand. He invited a number of renowned personalities from different fields, where his aim was to integrate the classical forms into one, bridging the gap between the classical and folk dances and infusing them with a Western touch. But the Centre closed down in 1944 due to economic deficits and maintenance conflicts. The members and students of the institution were dispersed after that, but Shanker gathered some of them and headed south. There, he made a film, Kalpana (1948), in which Shankar and his wife, Amala Shankar, were featured as dancers. The film is considered a much-acclaimed movie in Shankar’s artistic career. It was during the post-independence period, when the entire nation was trying to create new identities and symbols of decolonization, which also included cultural differences. The film stands as an example where Shankar sought to make use of the visual arts and document the aspirations and opinions of the people. It is also an example of the application of the concept of “cultural hybridity”, propounded by postcolonial scholar Homi K. Bhabha.
Shankar, through his dance projects, incorporated a narrative style and symbolic approach that had certain themes or motifs that were evident in his dances. Mythological themes were one of the recurring narratives taken from the Hindu epics and the Hindu iconography. The Radha-Krishna duet and Tandava Nritya were examples of this type. Shankar depicted the mudras with the Western ballet technique, creating a lively picture of the gods for a global audience. Secondly, as mentioned earlier, he invoked the elements of folk traditions, influenced by his stays in Rajasthan and Bengal. By using this, he tried to reach out to diverse audiences, negating inequality. Lastly, social commentary and critique was also an integral theme of Shankar’s dance, apart from being an aesthetic practice. His film Kalpana was an instance of this type in the 1940s, exploring the themes of colonial subjugation, exploitation, and so on. On the basis of these themes, he crafted his project of cultural fusion, creating a unique style.
Conclusion: The Timeless Legacy
By 1960, Uday Shankar had settled in Kolkata (then Calcutta), founding another formal institution known as the Uday Shankar Centre for Dance in 1965, where his wife, Amala Shankar, was his partner in this venture. His creative dance form is being carried forward by his children’s family at present. To acknowledge his creativity, his brother Ravi Shankar arranged a four-day Uday Utsav in 1983 in Delhi.
Uday Shankar, through his experimentations, desired to bring the cultural form within the domain of the emerging modernity across the country. He was often criticized for his attempt to westernize an ancient art form, but the innovation he brought to the arena of modern dance is noteworthy. His dance style remains an example of resilience, which modern-day choreographers try to emulate. Through his technique of storytelling and the fusion of East-West style, his “Hi” dance catered to both the Indian and the international audiences.
References
1. Uday Shankar. Accessed on September 24,2025. https://www.sahapedia.org/uday-shankar
2.Uday Shankar, the Father of Modern Indian Dance. Accessed on September 24,2025.https://disco.teak.fi/asia/uday-shankar-the-father-of-modern-indian-dance/
3.Uday Shankar. Accessed on September 25,2025.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uday_Shankar
4. Bhattacharjya, Nilanjana. A productive distance from the nation: Uday Shankar and the defining of Indian modern dance.https://www.academia.edu/36157872/A_productive_distance_from_the_nation_Uday_Shankar_and_the_defining_of_Indian_modern_dance
5.Mohapatra,Guru. AESTHETICS OF UDAYSHANKAR’ S CHOREOGRAPHY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PRESENT DAY CHOREOGRAPHERS.https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2012391.pdf