Uday Shankar Chowdhury (known professionally as Uday Shankar) was born in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India on December 8, 1900, the eldest of five sons, including brother Ravi Shankar, a sitarist and composer. Shankar is best known for his global popularization of classical Indian dance through his fusion of the elements with European dance and theatrical styles. His career as a dancer and choreographer began in London in 1923 as the partner of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, for whom he choreographed two ballets inspired by classical Indian dance, "Hindu Wedding" and "Radha-Krishna", the second of which was a duet performed by Pavlova and Shankar. After touring throughout Europe, Shankar returned to India in 1929 where he formed his own dance company known as "Uday Shankar and his Hindu Ballet" and in January 1933 played his first performance in the United States in New York City. Shankar and his troupe of dancers and musicians toured globally, including regular performances in cities throughout the United States, for the next 30 years. He passed away on September 26, 1977 at the age of 76.