Uploaded January 2020 | Updated September 2026, 53 minutes ago
This is very early footage of Ram Gopal before he was known outside India – his first trip abroad to Europe was in 1938.
It is amateur film shot round 1938 by Tom D'Aguiar on the terrace of Gopal’s parents’ mansion - Torquay - in Bangalore in India.
Gopal fuses a number of influences in his dance, such as Kathakali, Bharat Natyam and Kathak.
What footage shows particularly is the incredibly subtle and intricate and meaningful movements the Indian dancer was capable of with hands, head and eyes.
The very last section show, tantalisingly, the musicians who were accompanying Gopal on the day of filming.
I added no sound track as I’m not familiar enough with the idiom of Indian dance and possible musical accompaniment.
This is very early footage of Ram Gopal before he was known outside India – his first trip abroad to Europe was in 1938.
It is amateur film shot round 1938 by Tom D'Aguiar on the terrace of Gopal’s parents’ mansion - Torquay - in Bangalore in India.
Gopal fuses a number of influences in his dance, such as Kathakali, Bharat Natyam and Kathak.
What footage shows particularly is the incredibly subtle and intricate and meaningful movements the Indian dancer was capable of with hands, head and eyes.
The very last section show, tantalisingly, the musicians who were accompanying Gopal on the day of filming.
I added no sound track as I’m not familiar enough with the idiom of Indian dance and possible musical accompaniment.
![Stanley Holden - Clog Dance from La Fille Mal Gardee 1960 [1]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X2ei-O5-Gws/mqdefault.jpg "Stanley Holden - Clog Dance from La Fille Mal Gardee 1960 [1]
Stanley Holden - Clog Dance from La Fille Mal Gardee 1960 [1]")
