India, the country known for Art, Culture and Classical Dancing, this land has seen many legends.
Name a classical form and you will witness the abundance of talent it has produced and how we are so proud of it.
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They are the legends who are known for their grace, poise, hard work, the unmatchable talent and also for promoting their respective classical dance forms in the international platform captivating western audiences and increasing their interests in exploring the roots of these forms.
Let us take look at the top 10 Indian classical dancers of all times –
1. Rukmini Devi Arundale
Born on 29th February 1904, Rukmini Devi Arundale was a theosophist, dancer and choreographer of Bharatnatyam who changed the face of Bharatnatyam and revived and bought recognition for it. Not only did she work on the re-embellishment of Bharatanatyam but also worked on the re-embellishment of the traditional Indian arts and crafts.
She defended the art of Bharatnatyam which was called and considered as a ‘vulgar’ art. She removed the eroticism of Sadhir and made it prominent as an art form for Victoria British mortality and Indian upper caste elites.
Rukmini Devi was featured in India Today’s list of ‘100 People Who Shaped India’. She was awarded with ‘Padma Bhushan’ in the year 1956 and the ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship’ in 1967.
2. Pandit Birju Maharaj
Brijmohan Mishra popularly known as ‘Pandit Birju Maharaj’ as was born on 4th February 1938 in the family of Kathak dancers which includes both his uncles ‘Shambhu Maharaj’ and ‘Lachhu Maharaj’, and his father and guru ‘Acchan Maharaj’. He brought a lot of fame to the classical dance form of Kathak not only nationally but even globally.
Maharaj started teaching the dance form at a young age of 13 at the Sangeet Bharti in New Delhi. After teaching at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra and at the Kathak Kendra where he was the director, he opened his own dance school named ‘Kalashram’ in New Delhi as soon as he retired.
He even choreographed famous song ‘Kahe Chhed Mohe’ from the movie Devdas and ‘Mohe Rang Do Laal’ from Bajirao Mastani.
He was awarded with ‘Padma Bhushan’ in the year 1986.
3. Uday Shankar
Born in a Bengali family in Jaipur on 8th December 1880, was the known dancer and choreographer ‘Uday Shankar’ who was best known for creating fusion art by adapting European theatrical techniques to Indian Classical Dance combined with Indian folk and tribal dance which he popularised in India, Europe and the United States in the 1920s and 1930s.
Even after not having any formal training in any of the Indian classical dance forms. But the only difference was that his presentations were creative which made a prominent difference. From a young age, been exposed to both Indian classical dance and folk dance, as well as to ballet during his stay in Europe, is when he decided to bring elements of both the styles together to create a new fusion form of dance which he called ‘Hi-dance’.
Known as the pioneer of ‘Modern Dance’, he opened his own academy known as the ‘Uday Shankar Centre for Dance’ in 1965 after settling down in Ballygunge, Kolkata.
He received ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship’ in 1962 for his lifetime contribution to ‘Indian Dance’ and ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 1971.
4. Kelucharan Mohapatra
Born on 8th January 1926 in Puri, Odisha, ‘Kelucharan Mohapatra’ is a well known and a legendary Indian Classical Dancer, Guru and the man behind reviving the classical dance form of Odissi in the 20th century.
He was not only an exceptional dancer but was multi-talented with being an expert playing Percussion instruments – Mridangam, Pakhavaj and Tabla and was also skilled in traditional ‘Pattachitra’ painting.
He received a lot of recognition and multiple highest honoured awards starting from ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’ in 1966, ‘Padma Shri’ in 1974, ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 1988, ‘ Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship’ in 1991 and ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 2000 where he was the first one to receive it from Odisha.
5. Guru Bipin Singh
‘Guru Bipin Singh’ was born on 23 August 1918 and was a director, choreographer and teacher of Manipuri dancer and mesmerised many audiences with his expressions, poise and grace.
He began training in his childhood itself while studying singing and dancing before focusing on Manipuri dance completely especially under Guru Amudon Sharma, with the support of Manipur’s king.Even though he earned a living as a film choreographer, he did not lose his focus to expand knowledge of the traditional dance form of Manipuri.
As a part of that, he created the ‘Govindji Nartanalaya’ dance school for women in Imphal and, in 1972, the ‘Manipuri Nartanalaya’ dance school in Calcutta.
He received ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’ in the year 1966.
6. Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam
If we ever think of how ‘Kuchipudi’ dance form found the global limelight then the legend behind this success has to be the Guru of Kuchipudi dance form ‘Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam’.
Born on 15th October, 1929 in Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh, he systemised Kuchipudi and bought the dance form more close to the standards of ‘Natya Shastra’ with introduction of elements such as ‘Chari’ which is basically the leg movements which was different previously. Known as the ‘rustic’ folk form of dance previously, he was the reason who revived Kuchipudi which later made it in the list of Indian Classical Dance Forms.
He started his own ‘Kuchipudi Dance Academy’ in Chennai with 150 groups and 15 solo dance dramas crafted and choreographed by him. These all were not only staged all over India but also all over abroad.
He received ‘Padma Bhushan’ in the year 1998.
7. Padma Subrahmanyam
Born on 4th February 1943 in Madras, ‘Padma Subrahmanyam’ is not only a well-known Bharatnatyam dancer but is an expert in various fields including a research scholar, choreographer, musician (masters in Carnatic Music), teacher, ideologist and author.
She wanted to delve much deeper in the art form Bharatnatyam which she has been learning from a very young age and which eventually led to researching about it where she learned that there is a gap between the history, theory and the actual dance. She even invented and created a new style known as ‘Bharatanrytam’.
Her PhD was based on the ‘81 Karanas’ depicting Bharatanatyam movements. She is the author of many articles, research papers and books and has even served as a non- official member of the Indo-Sub-commission for education and culture.
She received ‘Padma Shri’ in 1981 and ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2003. In her entire dance career she has received over 100 awards for her contribution to Indian Classical dance form of Bharatnatyam.
8. Shovana Narayan
Born on 2nd September, 1950 in West Bengal, Kathak Maestro ‘Shovana Narayan’ needs no introduction. Student of ‘Pandit Birju Maharaj, she is a renowned Kathak dancer and had a dual career with also being a career officer with Indian Audit and Accounts Services.
She is even a ‘Choreographer-Performer’ and has produced international collaborative works with leading dancers of Western Classical Ballet, Spanish Flamenco, Tap dance, Buddhist chants with Buddhist Monks as well as to the compositions of western Classical composers. She even organises annual festivals which are focussed on classical performing arts.
She has even researched and and discovered 8 Kathak villages near Gaya with documentary and official records. With over 80 articles with in-depth research have been published in several national newspapers and recognised journals and she has even authored 9 books based on Kathak and performing arts.
She received ‘Padma Shri’ in the year 1992 and ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’ in the year 1999-2000.
9. Sonal Mansingh
Sonal Mansingh was born 30th April, 1944 in Bombay and is an Indian classical dancer and Guru of both Bharatanatyam and Odissi dancing style.
Her dancing career started in 1962 and after her ‘arangetram’ in Mumbai, she founded, Centre for Indian Classical Dances (CICD) in New Delhi in 1977.
She has performed and her dance has taken her all over the worldand brought her many awards which includes the ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 1992, ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Award’ in 1987 and the ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 2003; making her the second woman dancer in India to receive such an honour after ‘Balasaraswati’.
She has even authored three books which are largely based on Indian Classical dance Styles. She has been nominated by President of India to become a Member of Parliament, ‘Rajya Sabha’.
10. Mrinalini Sarabhai
Mrinalini Vikram Sarabhai was bornon 11th May 1918 and was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor.
She was the founder and director of the ‘Darpana Academy of Performing Arts’ an institute which focuses and trains the students in dance, drama, music and puppetry in the city of Ahemdabad.
She has received many accolades, awards and citations in recognition of her contribution to art and she has trained over 18,000 students in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali.
She has choreographed more than 300 hundred dance-dramas and has also written many novels, poetry and stories for children. She was even the chairperson of the Gujarat State Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Ltd.
She received ‘Padma Shri’ in the year 1965 and ‘Padma Bhushan’ in the year 1992. She was awarded the ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship’ in the year 1994.
On 11th May 2018, Google Doodle commemorated her 100th birthday.
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