Monday 11 March 2013

Journey from Reunion island . . .


A contingent from Reunion island, off Mauritius had its first taste of a dance festival outside home.
Six dancers and their guru, Uma Maheswari Someswaran and some 50 islanders converted the invitation to the Natyanjali to fly out on a Tamil Nadu tour.

So what is the Reunion-Chidambaram link?
Uma hails from this town, learnt dance here from guru Kalaiarasi and when her husband, a Tamil teacher got an assignment in Reunion flew out to a new world. She put her skills to good use, taking dance classes for the islanders at the  Association Muthamizh Alayam.

Dance, music and bhajans besides basic Tamil language classes are taken under the Alayam's banner, providing people who trace their roots to Tamil Nadu an opportunity to reconnect in a small way.

Uma says this is the second time that a Reunion dance troupe is performing at the Natyanjali. Our guess is that it will not be the last till the Chidambaram link remains on the island.

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