Ann Marie Gaston

🪔 About

Dr. Anne-Marie Gaston, also known by her stage name Anjali, was a pioneering Canadian figure in Indian classical dance. Born on July 6, 1941, in Ottawa, Canada, where she also passed away on April 5, 2018, she became the first native-born Canadian to perform classical East Indian dance professionally. Her extensive training in Indian classical dances and other arts began in India in 1964, where she studied Bharatanatyam in Chennai with Ellappa Pillai. Over her career, she performed various styles, including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Chhau, and Kathak, receiving critical acclaim in India, Europe, and North America. Her performing career commenced in India in 1966 and in Canada in 1967. Academically, Gaston held an M.Litt and a D.Phil from Oxford University, specializing in Indian arts and South Asian Artistic Traditions. She taught at universities and colleges across North America and the UK, and served as a Research Associate in Music at the School for Studies in Art and Culture, Carleton University, Ottawa. Dr. Gaston was recognized for her innovative work using mixed-media in Indian dance presentations, highlighting the connections between dance, sculpture, and painting. She authored significant works such as "Siva in Dance, Myth and Iconography," "Bharata Natyam: From Temple to Theatre," and "Krishna's Musicians: Musicians and Music Making in the Temples of Nathdvara, Rajasthan." Her archival holdings are currently under development to document her performances and choreography, with some physical materials to be archived at the Dance Collection Danse Research Institute in Toronto, Canada.