MUMBAI: Indian dance pioneer Astad Deboo, who was famous for celebrating fusion and collaborating with international artists like Pina Bausch and Pink Floyd, died aged 73 on Thursday, his family said.

"He left us in the early hours of December 10, at his home in Mumbai, after a brief illness, bravely borne," Deboo's family announced on Facebook.

"He leaves behind a formidable legacy of unforgettable performances combined with an unswerving dedication to his art, matched only by his huge, loving heart that gained him thousands of friends and a vast number of admirers," the statement added.

During a career that spanned half a century, Deboo consistently pushed boundaries, combining Indian classical dance forms such as Kathak and Kathakali with Western techniques to create a style that was indisputably modern.