Dance. Wherever You May Be.

A tribute to Astad Deboo by Sangita Devi Kathiwada

Dramatic. Cataclysmic. Euphoric. A tour de force. A fine gentleman. A strong performer. And an incredible human being.

Astad Deboo was a true artist, one who unleashed the full force of his talent, combined with exquisite technique, to take the world by storm. He was also a very dear friend of mine.

Astad didn’t just embody “out of the box” thinking. He shifted paradigms.

He redefined (and some might say, rebirthed) classical Indian dance and took it to the world stage to create path-breaking performance art.

Was the world ready for it?

His audience was awe struck, many moved to tears with the wave of emotion that he evoked in the viewer. Each and every performance↗ brought the spirit of his inner child to life, mesmerizing them, charming them, overwhelming them.

I was completely amazed at his ability to keep his body supple till the last day of his life. But his humility and empathy were the most powerful qualities of all. A boundless love for young people mirrored his own child-like innocence and sweetness.

In 2009, Astad worked with young children from the Salaam Balak Trust to choreograph and perform in a piece called Breaking Boundaries, wherein he trained 14 street kids for six months. He mentored several hearing-impaired students to bring their originality to the fore. His purpose in life was to infuse creativity into the lives of young people from every background to reignite their love for life.

Whenever he walked into a room, he always had a warm hug for everyone.

His unerring eye for detail always picked up the subtlest nuances of art and fashion, and he himself was known for the ethereal and bold style statements that he made with his own costumes on stage. I was always so delighted when he complimented me on my own sense of style, because I knew that it came from the sartorial sense of a true artist.

Our journey into the Trans-Himalayan region was an epic experience. We travelled to Ladakh under the aegis of an Indo-Italian cultural conclave at the palace in Leh, that brought together Ladakhi musicians and their instruments, with Italian cellists. An evocative jugalbandi of Ladakhi and Italian artistes, a surreal and moving experience at the roof of the world.

That was when I truly saw the incredible passion that fuelled his art. His heart was so open, his spirit was so young!

He was ready to embrace any and every experience or individual that he encountered. It opened my own heart to watch him as he engaged with the people we met, posed for candid photographs, or simply meditated. His aura seemed to expand against the dramatic backdrop, resonating with the stark beauty of the Ladakhi landscape.

Utterly sincere. Incredibly enthusiastic. Totally non-judgmental. An abundance of joy seemed to emanate from him. That’s precisely what kept him so alive, right until the end.

A trained Kathak and Kathakali dancer, Astad did the unthinkable and combined the two dance forms – breaking all boundaries. He would dance on the Great Wall of China, on the ramparts of an ancient fortress, or in the street.

He collaborated, instead of competing, giving birth to exquisite synergies. He danced with Thang Ta and choreographed for the Bolshoi Ballet. He partnered with Pink Floyd to rock the stage.

His brand of creativity was radical, completely unfettered by public opinion, and therein lay his prowess. In one of his works, Unbroken, Unbowed, he pays tribute to The Mahatma. His artistic vision encompassed a broad swathe of themes and motifs that ranged from spirituality to everyday life. A rebel – but with such grace, elegance and humility that the world fell at his feet.

When the global pandemic swept across the world, Astad felt the grief and pain of all his dancers. He supported several of his students and fellow performers through the Astad Deboo Foundation, but he was most concerned for his students and how they would weather this storm.

A few weeks before he passed away in December 2020, just as the pandemic hit its peak, he called me. It was a heartfelt conversation. Even though he’s no longer here with us in this life, Astad’s spirit for life and his sheer love for art leaves an indelible footprint.

A free spirit, dancing to the rhythm of the cosmos.

- All Photos by Farrokh Chothia.