▁Sm t . ▁Nil ima ▁Das . ▁His ▁parents ▁founded ▁“ N r ity a ▁B har ati ,” ▁one ▁of ▁India ’ s ▁first ▁institutions ▁for ▁dance ▁that ▁hous ed ▁teachers ▁of ▁several ▁classical ▁and ▁folk ▁styles . ▁Pro hl ad ▁Das , ▁himself ▁a ▁dance ▁scholar ▁and ▁ch ore ograph er , ▁used ▁traditional ▁dance ▁forms ▁to ▁express ▁modern ▁issues , ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁his ▁revolution ary ▁work ▁“ Ab hy ud aya ” ▁( mean ing ▁“ aw ak ening ” ) ▁st aged ▁before ▁Indian ▁Independ ence ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁Das ▁frequently ▁c ited ▁his ▁mother , ▁Nil ima ▁Das , ▁for ▁having ▁had ▁a ▁prof ound ▁impact ▁on ▁his ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁dan cer , ▁often ▁stating , ▁“ m other ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁g uru ”. ▁ ▁G row ing ▁up ▁in ▁his ▁parents ' ▁dance ▁school ▁in ▁Cal cut ta , ▁Nr ity a ▁B har ati , ▁P and it ▁Das ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁great ▁literary ▁artists , ▁po ets , ▁d anc ers , ▁and ▁g urus ▁of ▁the ▁times . ▁ ▁He ▁re called ▁fond ▁mem ories ▁of ▁icon ic ▁d anc ers ▁such ▁as ▁R uk min i ▁De vi ▁A rund ale , ▁U day ▁Sh ank ar , ▁Bal as ar as w ati ▁and ▁the ▁legend ary ▁Sh amb hu ▁Mah ar aj ▁coming ▁to ▁visit ▁his ▁home . ▁ ▁With ▁encourag ement ▁from ▁his ▁mother , ▁Das ▁began ▁his ▁study ▁of ▁Kath ak