Noted dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai passes away at 97

Ahmedabad: Eminent Indian classical dancer, instructor and choreographer Mrinalini Sarabhai passed away in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad. She was 97-year-old.

Sarabhai was admitted to a hospital in Ahmedabad with an infection, her son Kartikeya Sarabhai said. She died in the hospital Thursday after her condition deteriorated overnight. Daughter Mallika Sarabhai was present with her at the time of death.

"My mother Mrinalini Sarabhai has just left for her eternal dance," her daughter and noted classical Indian dancer Mallika Sarabhai said in a Facebook post.

Born in Palakkad to social worker and former parliament member Ammu Swaminathan, she was acknowledged and felicitated with many awards in recognition of her contribution to art.

She was married to noted Indian scientist and innovator Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai who was widely regarded as the father of India's space programme.

She did a short stint at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, before returning to India and learning two classical Indian dance forms from the leading dancers of the day.

She began her career as a dancer of the classical Indian dance form, Bharatanatyam, but also mastered Kathakali, a stylized form of Indian dance-drama from her home state of Kerala.

In 1948, Sarabhai set up the Darpana Academy of Performing Art in Ahmadabad. Over the decades, the academy has become a leading center in India for training young dancers, musicians and puppeteers.

In a dance career spanning more than seven decades, Sarabhai gave hundreds of performances and trained thousands of dancers and choreographers. Besides choreographing more than 300 dance-dramas, she has written several novels, plays, poetry and stories for children. She was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1992 and the Padma Shri in 1965.