Uday Shankar: Twentieth Century's Nataraja (Rupa Charitavali Series)

When he danced it seemed as if Lord Shiva and Kartikeya had come alive on stage. Through his dazzling performances and intricately choreographed shoes Uday Shankar introduced the art of Indian dance to the world.

Uday Shankar's talents as a dancer and choreographer were first recognised by the legendary Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and he partnered her in several performances. A prize winning student at the Royal Academy of Arts, he could have become a painter but instead he chose to dance. He was one of the first dancers to present Indian dance in a new, innovative style and his dance company toured Europe and America to great acclaim.

In this book discover the creative genius and tumultuous life of Uday Shankar, a man who lived to dance.

Born in Calcutta, Ashoke Kemar Mukhopadhyay, a corporate communications professional is well-known for his research based articles on Rabindranath Tagore and pre-independent militant nationalist movements. A guest lecturer at the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, Calcutta University, his other works include Pratham Diner Robi (a collection of essay on Tagore) and Chena Para Achena Manush (a collection of features on Calcutta). He won the Snocem-Ananda Literary award in the years 1998 and 2001.

Charitavali is a series of biographies dedicated to the legendary figures of India. The series presents the lives of great kings, freedom fighters, political thinkers, social reformers, pioneers of industry, eminent scientists, philosophers, artists, musicians, dancers and film stars, writers and sports people. These biographies have been written for the reader who is curious about the life, achievements and character o these legends. Full of fascinating stories and facts, written in an easy, story telling style, these biographies will make these great Indians and their times come alive for the reader.