BAVINA SOOKDEO
FOR 30-year-old Amrita Seupersad and her mother Indira Maharaj, dance is more than a passion – it is a lifeline to heritage, a spiritual practice, and a profound expression of their bond as mother and daughter.
Their story is a celebration not just of maternal love, but of the endurance of Indian culture in Trinidad and Tobago – carried gracefully, rhythmically, from generation to generation.
“I was introduced to dance from a very young age,” said Seupersad, a marketing manager with an honours BA in business management and a graduate of Naparima Girls’ High School and Parvati Girls’ Hindu College.
“Dance was a very critical part of my childhood where my mom, also a tutor of several classes at the time, would take me alongside her to shows and performances and organically it became a part of me. Truly seeing my mom as the performer she is, inspired the very thought of me becoming a dancer and I am fortunate to have started the journey with her as my mentor at every level.”
Maharaj, 55, began her own journey under the guidance of her elder sibling and later studied under renowned Kathak exponents Guru Pratap and Priya Pawar. Her path eventually led her to India, where she deepened her classical training under guru and spiritual guide pundit RS Upadhya. Today, she teaches dance full-time through her dance school, the Satyam Shivam Dance Academy.
[caption id="attachment_1156015" align="alignnone" width="684"] Indira Maharaj teaches dance full-time through her dance school, the Satyam Shivam Dance Academy. -[/caption]
Asked how she feels about being her daughter’s dance guru, Maharaj said, “I’m very proud that Amrita follows in my footsteps. As a teacher, it’s an honour to be her guru. Maharaj beams with pride knowing her daughter is preserving the culture she holds dear.
“I felt as if I have accomplished a stripe of excellence on my shoulder to be aware that my child can carry forward the cultural traditions to our future generations.”
Their shared devotion centres around Bharatanatyam dance. Seupersad related about this classical style that originated from Tamil Nadu: “It is a style that was initially performed by temple dancers and is very focused on intricate hand movements called mudras, facial expressions which express the mood and rhythmic footwork. It is designed to embody emotion (bhava), melody (raga) and rhythm (taal). The movements are deeply symbolic spiritually rooted to Lord Nataraja (the Hindu god of dance).”
Seupersad disclosed that dance is deeply symbolic to them. It's an expression that connects them at a deeper level. She explained that dance helps them in communicating, creating and conceptualising their differences into one impulse.
“Dance is that artform that keeps us highly focused and disciplined but it also is our escape from our extremely busy, separate worlds.
“It is more than just mere movements, it is worship that requires a blend of commitment, diligence, effort and self-motivation just like any other activity would.”
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