Ram Gopal, Dancer Who Opened Western Eyes to India, Dies
By JACK ANDERSON

Ram Gopal, one of the greatest Indian dancers of the 20th century and a pioneer in acquainting Western audiences with traditional Indian dance, died on Sunday in a nursing home in southwest London.

 

He was believed to be in his 80's or early 90's. Mr. Gopal was always reticent about his age, and reference sources give his year of birth variously as 1912, 1917 and 1920.

A lithe, handsome man who favored silk turbans and glittering rings, Mr. Gopal was a compelling, charismatic presence. Born in Bangalore, India, of an Indian father and a Burmese mother, he studied several forms of Indian dance, seeking out teachers in many cities. La Meri, an American dancer who specialized in non-Western forms, saw him perform in India and invited him to join her on tour in 1936.

He made his New York solo debut on May 1, 1938, at the 46th Street Theater. Reviewing that performance in The New York Times, John Martin noted that Mr. Gopal's dancing sometimes lacked subtlety; nevertheless, he said, Mr. Gopal "has a beautiful carriage and handles his body well."

Mr. Martin also praised Mr. Gopal for "his feeling for the theater and his excellent stage personality," adding that the audience response was so enthusiastic that "several dances had to be repeated."

Mr. Gopal toured extensively as a soloist and with a company before and after World War II, representing India at the New York Golden Anniversary International Dance Festival at City Center in 1948, the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires in 1954 and the Edinburgh Festival in 1956.

One of his most unusual choreographic creations was "Radha Krishna," a 1960 duet based on Hindu myths. In it he played the god Krishna, and Alicia Markova, a British ballerina known for her exquisite lightness, was the princess Radha.

Mr. Gopal, who directed dance schools in Bangalore and London, published his autobiography, "Rhythm in the Heavens," in 1957. In his later years he divided his time between London, Venice and the South of France.

In 1990 Mr. Gopal was named a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy for music, dance and drama in New Delhi, and in 1999 he received the Order of the British Empire. He was also given the title of pandit, a Hindu term meaning master, by the Indian government.

In the 1960's he was briefly married to Edith Alexander, who died in 1969. There are no immediate survivors.

Source: NY Times