Creativity in Indian Dance: Uday Shankar's Autumn Years, 1960 - 1977

Uday Shankar was a dancer and choreographer who created a new Indian dance form without any ethno-regional centricity. This book provides a detailed study of his works in his autumn years (1960–1977), discussing the form and content of his style and its basic tenets. It also analyses Rabindranath Tagore and Uday Shankar as path-breakers of the duality in Indian performing arts traditions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Uday Shankar, hailed as the father of Indian Creative Dance and India's cultural ambassador, was a versatile dancer and choreographer who revolutionized Indian dance by transcending ethno-regional boundaries. His artistic journey evolved from portraying the exotic East to capturing the essence of modern India. This comprehensive book delves into Shankar's artistic works during his autumn years (1960–1977), a period largely undocumented. It explores the unique form and content of Shankar's style, shedding light on its fundamental principles, which have hitherto remained unexplored. Furthermore, the book analyzes Rabindranath Tagore and Uday Shankar as trailblazers in bridging the dualities within Indian performing arts traditions. The detailed examination includes productions such as Samanya Kshati (1961), Shankar's tour of the USA, Canada, and Europe in 1962, India's cultural diplomacy, and Prakriti Ananda (1966), Shankar's final tour of the USA in 1968, his masterpiece Shankarscope (1970, 1971, and 1972), and his enduring legacy. This book is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, artists, biographers, creative arts studies enthusiasts, theatre and Asian performing arts scholars, as well as students of International Relations theory, particularly those interested in cultural diplomacy and soft power.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032206554