Ram Gopal

🪔 About

Bissano Ram Gopal (1912-2003) was a pioneering Indian dancer and choreographer, widely recognized for introducing Indian classical dance to Western audiences. Born in Bangalore, British India, on November 20, 1912, to a Rajput father and a Burmese mother, he was drawn to dance from an early age. His extensive training included Kathakali from Guru Kunju Kurup and Chandu Panickar, Bharatanatyam in the Pandanallur style from Guru Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and Muthukumaran Pillai, and Kathak from Sohanlal and Bowri Prasad. He also explored Manipuri dance, assimilating these diverse forms into his unique choreographies. Ram Gopal embarked on an illustrious career in the 1930s, performing as a soloist and with his company across India, the UK, America, and Europe. He was celebrated for his modernist approach, blending classical Indian dance with folk elements and balletic choreography, earning him the moniker "the Nijinsky of India." His notable productions included "Legend of the Taj Mahal," "Dances of India," "Dance of the Setting Sun," and "Garuda: The Golden Eagle." A significant collaboration was the "Radha-Krishna" duet with British ballerina Dame Alicia Markova in 1960. He briefly established a dance institution in Bangalore and later founded the "Academy of Indian Dance and Music" in London in 1962, contributing to the propagation of Indian dance abroad. Through his work, he mentored and introduced several talented artists who later became prominent figures in Indian dance. Ram Gopal received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1990 and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999 for his services to dance. He spent his later years in London, Venice, and the South of France, passing away on October 12, 2003, in Croydon, South London, United Kingdom. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (1990), Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1999).