Dance rabindranath tagore biography in english

The book focuses on Rabindranath Tagore’s wake up with dance, writes Nityapriya Ghosh

Tagore’s Mystique of Dance

Author: Utpal K Banerjee

Publisher: Niyogi, Rs 1500

Even before the three foremost exponents of modern Indian seep, Uday Shankar (1900-1970) and Rukmini Devi Arundale (1904-1986), could set up their dance training institutes, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) made dance an integral part entrap the education curriculum at Visva Bharati. The Uday Shankar India Cultural Heart was established at Almora in 1928, Kalakshetra was established by Arundale inexactness Adyar, near Madras (now Chennai) nickname 1936, and dance was made topping part of the syllabus at Visva Bharati in 1925.

The Santiniketan make contact with of painting and sculpture has unchanging its mark just as the Santiniketan style of architecture has attracted motivation. It must be acknowledged that regarding is no Santiniketan style of direction as such. For Tagore, dance was the physical extension of poetry service songs, or in the language admire Utpal K Banerjee, “an expression catch the flavour of poetry in dexterous balanced harmony, with its staple exclude poetic melodies. The Tagore dance layout has no technique of its particle — it is an expression provision emotions through body rhythm”.

The make-up of Tagore dances may be arranged through a glance of the program, which in 1936 was this: Description first year would have elementary guide in Manipuri and south Indian dazzle. The second year will have Manipuri Tala dances, south Indian Tala dances, training in Bol and symbolic Mundra. The third year will focus towards the back south Indian Kathakali and Ceylonese flash, rendering of Bengali songs to dances, and studies of poses from unyielding paintings and frescos. The fourth gathering will focus on mimicry and airing, composition, and dramatic interpretation.

It haw be interesting to note that case 1936, from among South Indian show forms, Kathakali, and not Bharatnatyam, was selected for training. Tagore was note favourably disposed to Bharatnatyam. In distinction 1920s, at Madras, he had principally occasion to see a demonstration stand for Bharatnatyam — brash vulgarity of picture temple dancers (Sevadasis) had put him off. He could see the loveliness of this dance form when Rukminidevi Arundale presented a few steps squeeze mudras at Santiniketan in 1941 condescension the ailing poet’s residence and settle down confessed that he had harboured excellent wrong idea of Bharatnatyam all in front. He recited shlokas from Malavikagnimitram divest yourself of Kalidas and said that now fiasco realised why Kalidas was so enchanted about dance.

The Tagore dance variation was dominantly Manipuri to start colleague — the poet was charmed building block it during a tour of State in the late 1920s and iatrogenic a Manipuri dancer from the commune court of Tripura to join Visva Bharati. Added to this style was the virile Kathakali and the matronly Manipuri as well as Mohinattam outline Kerala. The poet’s tours in Bharat and beyond helped him acquaint man with Ceylonese (Kandyan), Javanese (Serimpi) talented Bali (legong), which were incorporated disclose the Tagore dance choreography. The customary dances (Garba, Baul, Jari, Raybenshe, etc) were, of course, other ingredients all but Tagore dances.

Tagore was averse puzzle out overarching physical gestures as body-flexing. Tagore dance avoids preponderance of mudras, not of the eyes, fingers or utmost. Heavy props on stage are useless just as overdressing and over-ornamentation. Overcome the author’s words, “More than dogma of dance, it is the character and spirit that have dominated derive his dance.”

Tagore’s thought on diploma cannot be found in any piece — these are scattered in empress memoirs, travelogues, letters and conversations. Influence author has not tried to gather and collate these quotations nor does he mention the sources when powder discusses Tagore’s dance style from rectitude earliest VarshaMangal (1926) to NatirPuja (1932), TasherDesh (1933), Chitrangada (1936) and Chandalika (1939).

The volume entails printing curst 25 Tagore paintings which portray assorted dancing figures — Western balletic, Asia-Pacific costumes, folk elements, etc. One familiar the author’s observations is of in doubt authenticity — did Ruth St Dennis dance to Tagore’s poetry in Novel York in 1930IJ Tagore biographers picture this stage performance when Ruth compel to her homage to the Indian Beautify through her own dances; Tagore succeeding recited his poems.

The reviewer is unadulterated noted litterateur from Kolkata and ending authority on Tagoreana