Astad Deboo, dance pioneer and acclaimed choreographer bows out
Mumbai Mirror / Updated: Dec 11, 2020, 09:11 IST
Astad Deboo (July 13, 1947 - December 10, 2020): The dance pioneer and acclaimed
choreographer bows out.
Ironically, the very first show I ever saw at
Prithvi Theatre in Juhu, which later became my regular haunt, was a performance by the dance legend Astad Deboo along with (Satyadev) Dubeyji’s actors. It was part of the Prithvi Theatre Festival, sometime in the 1980s, and I remember being absolutely spellbound.
I later went on to work with Dubeyji a lot. At one point in his career, he conducted several acting workshops. Astad would come in to conduct the movement workshops for his actors. They were extremely good friends, and in fact shared the same birthday (July 13). What struck me about their friendship was their deep passion and hunger for their respective performances, Dubeyji’s drama and Astad’s dance.
Astad Deboo: A rebel who stood astride India s fledgling experimental arts scene, and dismantled notions of dance Swimming against the tide, Astad Deboo forged an uncommon career that operated in its own niche perhaps, but has left behind an insurmountable legacy. Vikram Phukan December 11, 2020 08:10:58 IST Astad Deboo. Image via Facebook/Astad Deboo
An indelible and iconic image of the city’s cultural kaleidoscope that is unlikely to fade away is that of the late Astad Deboo in performance statuesque and obstinate in his stance; with a long, flowing, hand-stitched
angrakha in swirling colours marking his turf; and a hand, taut and outstretched, carrying in its palm a signature gesture both still and turbulent. Deboo was the grand old man of Indian contemporary dance, and his passing this week leaves a void made all the more pronounced by the overlap
Astad Deboo | The man who imbued modern dance with narrative form of treatment
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His socio-political concepts stirred their conscience and kept them rooted to the ground realities
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His socio-political concepts stirred their conscience and kept them rooted to the ground realities
When Astad Deboo took the stage, it was difficult to fathom when Kathak merged into Kathakali and when Martha Graham dance technique made its presence felt. Holistic in comprehending the Indian and Western dance aesthetics, Deboo imbued modern dance with a narrative form of treatment and blended facial expressions with body movements to tell tales of contemporary India.