Ruth St. Denis performs a ‘Hindu’-style dance at the home of American socialite Lolita Armour, 1915Ruth St. Denis performs a ‘Hindu’-style dance at the home of American socialite Lolita Armour, 1915
Montecito, California
Courtesy of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, den_0407v
Esther Sherman (right), known as Ragini Devi, and Guru Gopinath performing the Lakshmi Narayan Dance, c. 1933Esther Sherman (right), known as Ragini Devi, and Guru Gopinath performing the Lakshmi Narayan Dance, c. 1933
Bombay, Maharashtra
Courtesy of the Collection of Sukanya Rahman/Ram Rahman
Uday Shankar, Dance of Gandharva, c. 1931Uday Shankar, Dance of Gandharva, c. 1931
Paris, France
Photograph by Boris Lipnitzki
Courtesy of the Library of Congress, P&P-NYWTS-Biog-Shankar, Uday Dancer
Early proponents of Indian dance included both Indians and Americans devoted to sharing their art with the Western world. Ruth St. Denis performed ‘Hindu’-inspired dances that evoked deep spiritual connections for her audiences. Another U.S. performer, Ragini Devi, specialized in Kathakali, a relatively unknown style restricted to male performers. She traveled to India in 1930 and frequently collaborated with Guru Gopinath, a revered dancer known for re-popularizing traditional dance in India. In addition, Uday Shankar appropriated Western techniques to classical Indian dance – creating a modern art form often referred to as “Hindu Ballet.”