{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1622841"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1622841/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MY1279/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MY1279/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MY1279","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1622841","accessionNumber":"S.77-2021","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Roshanara","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Roshanara (Olive Craddock 1894-1926) was promoted as ‘India’s greatest dancer’. Anglo-Indian by birth and upbringing, her stage career in London began in 1912 when she stepped into the long-running play <i>Kismet</i> while Nancy Denvers took a break and was invited to give five performances as Zobeide in <i>Schéhérazade</i> for the Ballets Russes. Thereafter she presented largely solo performances of Indian-inspired dance. There is no doubt that her presentation was influenced by American dancer Ruth St. Denis, who did not resent her as she did most ‘imitators’. The division of her career into working in Europe and the USA, where, in around.1918, she joined Adolf Bolm’s Ballet Intime, noted for its multicultural mix, and her short life, has hampered lasting recognition. Nevertheless, she was a significant figure contributing to the resurgence of and understanding of South Asian Dance in the West in the early 20th century.\n.\nRoshanara's Snake Dance, which she performed widely, was inspired by an earlier work by Ruth St Denis. A programme note for performances of this dance at the London Coliseum in 1914 read :\r\n‘As originally danced in ancient times in Nagpur (India), a city infested with snakes – here the reptiles were held sacred and no one dared kill them for fear of incurring the wrath of “Naga,” the snake god. Therefore offerings were made to the idol for protection from snake bites.\r\nAmong the ceremonies connected with the worship of this god, was a dance usually performed by a maiden dedicated to the temple, whose arms were supposed to be possessed with the spirit of a serpent, which forced her to dance until exhausted’.\r\n","physicalDescription":"The photograph shows a dancer in Indian dress, twisting her body to her left while looking along her right shoulder. Her hands, each with two large rings, are stretched out with the fingers together to give the impression of snakes' heads.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sandau, Ernst","id":"AUTH362029"},"association":{"text":"photographers","id":"AAT25687"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"}],"techniques":[{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Photograph on card mount","categories":[{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2021MY1279"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES356629"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photographs","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Berlin","id":"x28746"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1912","earliest":"1907-01-01","latest":"1916-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gabrielle Enthoven Collection","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"22.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photographic image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photographic image","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"38","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"27.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Ernst Sandau / Berlin W., U.d. 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Schweden'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Photographer's details printed on the mount"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Ernst Sandau of Roshanara (1894-1926) in her serpent dance","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.77-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"77","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2021-05-18","availableToBook":true}}