Journalism of Courage
Mi Isadora,danseuse Rohini Bhates Marathi translation of the famous autobiography of American dancer Isadora Duncan,is all set to hit the stands again after a gap of 35 years
Celebrating her life with the beats of dance and the tunes of music,she gave classical dance a new charm. 35 years ago,in 1972,Rohini Bhate,with her abundance in language and free spiritedness,gave art lovers,a literary treasure they could never forget. With her affluence in language and subtle understanding of the nuances of dance,she added a beautiful flavour to this translation,which not only impressed many but also adorned several bookshelves for years. Mi Isadora,a book by Bhate,that once ruled the hearts of literary enthusiasts is all set to hit the stands for a new beginning.
Having witnessed the making of the book since day one,Shama Bhate,Rohinitais disciple has written apt foreword for the new edition of the book. Commenting on the hard laborious research that went in writing the book,Bhate says,Today,life is all about Google and mouse clicks. But back then; if a person wanted to know about something,it needed a lot of efforts. I remember Rohinitai would visit libraries,talk to people,write and re-write hundred times and the effort she put in has showed in the book.
Besides being well-known dance patrons,Rohinitai and Duncan shared the zeal to express themselves. Their perspectives of looking at their respective art forms might have been different but their goals were the same. A confluence of a traditional artist like Rohiniji and the courageousness of Isadoras personality is something that reflects on every page of the book. When I was small,Rohinitai had taken me to watch a film based on the life of Isadora. With my upbringing,I was shocked to see Isadoras rebellion and her courage to do what she wanted to. It made a deep impact on me. The same could be said of Rohinitai as well. She brought me into dance and her dignified and subtle beauty really made me feel inspired. I was awed by her bearing, smiles Bhate.
