Gopal Prasad Dubey | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 June 1957 (1957-06-25) |
| Died | November 14, 2022(2022-11-14) (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Classical dancer |
| Years active | Since 1971 |
| Spouse | Nalini gopal |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2016 Lifetime achievement award 2017 from CMSB New Delhi Vocational Achievement AwardJharkhand State Award Suvarna Shankhu Award Natya Shri Puraskar Golden Conch Award Natya Tarang Puraskar Natya Keerthi Shikha Puraskar Natya Veda Puraskar |
| Website | Official web site |
Gopal Prasad Dubey (25 June 1957 – 14 November 2022) is an Indian classical dancer, known for his expertise in the Indian classical dance form ofChhau.[1][2][3] He is considered by many as the leading exponent of the Seraikella variant of the art form.[4] Dubey was honored by theGovernment of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award ofPadma Shri.[5]
Gopal Prasad Dubey was born on 25 June 1957 in aBrahmin family at Seraikella, in the Indian state ofBihar (now Jharkhand).[6][7][8][9] He started training Chhau at the age of 14[4] under renownedgurus such as Rajkumar S. N. Singhdeo,Kedar Nath Sahoo, bothPadma Shri award winners[5] and Natasekhar Banbihari Pattanayak.[7][8][9][10] He also had training in New York, under a grant provided by theAsian Cultural Council.[9]
Dubey foundedTrinetra, an institution for promoting Chhau dance,[11] in 1985,[4] under the aegis of which he has performed at many places across the world.[11] He has worked as the faculty member for dance at thePanjab University, Chandigarh.[8][7] He has also worked with many international universities such as theUniversity of Kansas,Indiana University of Pennsylvania,Harvard University,University of London,Chungang University, Seoul,Seoul Institute of the Arts andAmerican College of Greece and has taught at the Theatre Group and Multi Cultural Centre, both based in Inchon, South Korea.[8][7][10]
Dubey presented two classic plays,Antigone, in 1984 in New York andShakuntalam, in 1987 at the Volos Theatre in Greece.[7][10] His compositions were included inBharat Ek Khoj, a TV series produced by the renowned film makerShyam Benegal.[8] He is also credited with the choreography of productions and presentations such as:
An approved artist of theIndian Council for Cultural Relations,[7][2] aGovernment of India agency, Gopal Prasad Dubey has travelled in many parts of the world with his performance,[9] which includes a performance atSymphony Space, Broadway, New York[10][7] and has conducted many workshops and demonstrations in India and abroad.[11][7][10][9] He has also collaborated with mainstream cinema and experimental theatre.[1][4][7]
Gopal Prasad Dubey lives in Bengaluru, Karnataka.[6]
Gopal Prasad Dubey is a recipient of the Vocational Achievement Award from Rotary Club International.[8] He received theJharkhand State Award in 2007 for his contributions in promoting Chhau dance.[7][10][8] He was awardedSuvarna Shankhu at theKeli Chhau festival in 2010.[8][7] The same year, he received theNatya Shri title from Nataraj Music Academy[7][10] andGolden Conch from Keli Foundation, Mumbai.[10]
Holder of a senior fellowship from theMinistry of Culture, Dubey was honored by theGovernment of India in 2012, with the fourth highest civilian award ofPadma Shri.[7] He also receivedNatya Tarang Puraskar from Nataraj Music Academy andNatya Keerthi Shikha Puraskar from Sathyanjali Academy, Cochin, both in 2013 andNatya Veda Puraskar from Nataraj Music Academy in 2014.[10]
