Description
Renowned dancer and choreographer Mrinalini Sarabhai is single-handedly responsible for taking classical Indian dance beyond the shores of India, transforming Bharatanatyam into a dance form revered and respected throughout the world.
Born into the highly educated Swaminadhan family in Chennai, where the elite and intelligentsia of the time were frequent visitors, she found her true calling in Santiniketan. There, under the guidance of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, her immense capacity for innovation flowered. After a stint at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she returned to India, discovering the pristine energy of Kathakali and weaving it extensively into her choreographies.
Her marriage to the brilliant visionary and scientist Vikram Sarabhai in 1942 helped consolidate her dreams. This autobiography offers a wonderful example of how science and art can coexist beautifully; the two effortlessly leaned into each other’s spheres. In 1948, she founded the Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad, and by 1949, she was mesmerizing critics in Paris, beginning a lifelong journey of taking Indian culture across the globe.
Yet, her life was not without sorrow. The sudden death of her husband in 1972 was a terrible blow. Written with disarming honesty and simple eloquence, The Voice of the Heart chronicles how she faced life’s misfortunes with dignity, courage, and an abiding faith. It is a vivid memoir of a life optimally lived—a tribute to her gurus, her legendary family (including her children Kartikeya and Mallika), and a spirit that never disregarded the voice within.
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Father
- Mother
- Shantiniketan
- Study in the USA
- Bangalore
- Ahmedabad and the Sarabhais
- Returning to Bangalore
- Cambridge, England
- Darpana Academy
- Experimenting with Classical Techniques
- Paris and Onwards
- Egypt, South America
- Brain-Children and Children
- South East Asia
- At Home and Abroad
- Life and Work
- Kartikeya and Rajshree
- Artists into Ambassadors
- Mexico and Japan
- Communicating Social Issues Through Dance
- Parting with Vikram
- Moving On
- Family Concerns
- Mallika Comes into Her Own
- Tuang Chang
- Love and Dance
- … And Life Moves On!
- Index
Mrinalini Sarabhai: The Voice of the Heart (An Autobiography)
By Mrinalini Sarabhai
Book Specifications:
- Category: Biography & Autobiography / Performing Arts
- Pages: 320 pages
- Illustrations: 106 black and white photographs
- Dimensions: 6.75 x 8.75” (171 x 222mm), Softcover (sc) with gatefold
- ISBN: 978-81-985611-2-1
- Date of Publishing: Revised Edition, 2025
- Language: English
- Publisher: Distributed for Darpana Academy of Performing Arts
