TitleLe malapou, or the love dance, performed by the Bayaderes, Amany, Title [sic], Saundirounn, and Ramgoun, at the Theatre Royal Adelphi, composed by J.J. Masset
NamesMoore, Lillian (Donor)Mori & Lavenu (Publisher)
CollectionPrints depicting dance
Theatrical dancers, singly or in pairs
The bayaderes
Dates / OriginDate Issued: 1838 - 1839Place: LondonPublisher: Mori & Lavenu
Library locationsJerome Robbins Dance DivisionShelf locator: *MGZFX Bay 2
TopicsDevadāsīsDancers -- India -- 19th centuryDance -- England -- 19th centuryMusicians -- India -- 19th centuryMasset, Mr. (Nicolas Jean-Jacques), 1811-1903
GenresPrintsSheet music covers
NotesContent: For more information on the Bayaderes and their European tour, see Dr. Kusum Pant Joshi's article "1838: South Indian dancers tour Europe," Hinduism today, Jan./Feb. 2009.Acquisition: Gift; Lillian Moore, 1967.Biographical/historical: Western Europe's fascination with bayaderes, or Indian temple dancers, began several decades before authentic Indian dancers appeared there. The very term bayadere derives from the Portuguese "bailadera" or female dancer; the Indian term is devadasi. The Indian troupe known as the Bayaderes was commissioned by the French impresario E.C. Tardival for a tour of France, England, Germany, Austria, and Belgium in 1838. Its members, who were linked to the temple of Thiruvanthipuram near Pondicherry, included five female dancers and three male musicians. Tille Ammal, the senior dancer, was thirty years old; Amany, Saoundiroun, and Ramgoun were in their teens; and Veydoun was a child of six. The musicians were led by Ramalinga Mudali, who sang, chanted, and beat time with cymbals; Savaranim played the bamboo pipes and Deveneyagorum played the drum. Their tour took them to the Théâtre de Variétés in Paris, where they were reviewed by Théophile Gautier; the Theatre Royal Adelphi in London; and other venues, including a command performance before Louis Philippe of France. They were highly popular, although some spectators professed to prefer Europeanized versions of Indian dance, such as Filippo Taglioni's Le dieu et la bayadère.
Physical DescriptionLithographsExtent: 1 print : lithograph, black & white ; support 13 x 9 3/4 inches, image 12 7/8 x 9 3/8 inches
DescriptionDepiction of theatrical performances by the Bayaderes, a troupe of authentic Indian dancers and musicians. This print is a sheet music cover illustration for a composition inspired by the malapou, a dance from the Bayaderes' repertory. Three musicians play at left, while two female dancers perform at center. The two other adult dancers stand in the background, fly whisks in their hands, while the child dancer, Veydoun, watches the performance from stage left. The print includes westernized versions of Indian statues in the background.
Type of ResourceStill imageText
LanguagesEnglish
IdentifiersRLIN/OCLC: 825121923NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b19759014NYPL Exhibition ID: TL 20.01.PERF74Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): d7baae50-4152-013d-8de0-0242ac110003
Rights StatementThe New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.
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