Shobana Jeyasingh (born 26 March 1957 in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

) is a British choreographer and founder of Shobana Jeyasingh Dance. Shobana Jeyasingh has been creating dance works for 30 years. Born in Chennai, India, she currently lives and works in London. Her acclaimed, highly individual work has been witnessed in all kinds of venues, including theatres, outdoor and indoor sites and on film. Her work taps into both the intellectual and physical power of dance, and is rooted in her particular vision of culture and society. Shobana’s work is often enriched by specially commissioned music composed by an array of contemporary composers — from Michael Nyman to beat-boxer Shlomo. Her collaborators have included filmmakers, mathematicians, digital designers, writers, animators, as well as lighting and set designers. Shobana has also made a significant contribution to dance in the UK and internationally through her published writings, papers, panel presentations and broadcast interviews.

Work and awards

Jeyasingh has produced more than 50 dance works. She states that her work is rooted in her experiences as a British Asian and explores the conflicts between diverse personal and cultural origins. Her choreography draws upon various sources, including

Ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

Bharatnatyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of ...

and contemporary dance. Jeyasingh was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in 1995 and

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours, both for services to dance. She holds an honorary MA from Surrey University, an honorary doctorate from

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body. The name De Montfort University was tak ...

, and is a research associate at Middlesex University’s Research Centre for the Performing arts. In 2005 Jeyasingh was the recipient of a NESTA Dream Time Fellowship. In 2008 she was named Asian Woman of Achievement for her contribution to Britain’s cultural life. Complete list of works

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeyasingh, Shobana British choreographers Indian emigrants to the United Kingdom Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 1957 births Living people People from Chennai Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom