Tribute to Rashpal Singh Bansal
Dancer and choreographer Rashpal Singh Bansal sadly died in the first week of August. For Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, he choreographed a section for Transtep (2004) and performed with the company on numerous occasions, including the world premiere of Faultline (2007).
Rashpal began dancing in 1996 and trained at London Contemporary Dance School. He started choreographing his own work in 1997 and ran his own company, United Dance Artists. His choreography was celebrated and recognized with a Bonnie Bird Choreography Award at Laban (2004) the Robin Howard Foundation Award (2005) from The Place. As well as his work with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, he made works for The Place (Parallels, 2005), Royal Opera House:ROH2 (Dissonant, 2005), Transitions Dance Company and Woking Dance Festival. He also worked with Darshan Singh Bhuller, Random Dance, V-tol and Karas Dance companies, amongst others.
Shobana and dancers have written the following tributes to Rashpal:
I met Rashpal Bansal in 2004 through Wayne McGregor and I asked him to choreograph a short piece for us and we remained friends ever since. Our long conversations over the phone or in person ranged from choreography to relationships and much in between. Whatever it was, Rashpal always engaged with it with a rare passion and intensity. When he danced in the studio his face and his entire being seemed to lock into a concentration that left the outside world ( where he sometimes felt vulnerable and frustrated) behind. He cared deeply about the possibilities and resonance of movement and brought a seriousness and intelligence to the art of dance making. His depth of feeling often meant that the contrary voices and politics of the dance world at times caused him distress. As an Asian man from a traditional family trying to forge a career in the arts he was particularly under pressure. Rashpal was a rare and beautiful young man and I mourn his loss not only as a friend but also as a fellow choreographer. 
Rashpal touched our lives both as a loving friend and a fellow dancer. He was a man with a great heart and an enquiring mind. We will cherish the intensity, the energy and the creativity that he brought to the studio and his lively friendship. We will miss him more than words can express. Our deepest condolences to his family at this very sad time.
