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SAP News
Posted on: 9/4/2008
On 24 July 1838, five South Indian temple dancers (devadasis) arrived with their musicians in Bordeaux. They were the first Indian artists to perform all over Europe and became instant celebrities after they danced for the French royal family at the Tuileries. What do we know about these dancers who threatened ‘to eclipse Marie Taglioni and her fairy train.’ How did the French and British press portray them, and what was the response of European audiences to Indian dance in the 1830s?
