Dancing in the Family

by Sukanya Rahman

Dancing in the Family is the story of how Sukanya's grandmother, born Esther Sherman, in Petoskey, Michigan, transformed herself into Ragini Devi, classical Indian dancer, pioneer and writer of the first book in English on the dance of India. It is the story of her mother's struggle to shake off the "stigma" of becoming India's first "Miss India," in order to prove herself, as Indrani Rahman, as one of India's foremost classical Bharata Natyam and Odissi artistes. It is also the story of Sukanya's own struggle to stay afloat in this family of dynamic, indomitable women. Written with rare honesty and humour about matters close to the heart, this is an insightful and fascinating look into the Indian dance scene from the 1920s on. More than 50 archival family photographs, dating from 1893, contribute to making the book a gem in the history of Indian dance.