When former beauty queen and classical/folk dancer Seeta Parasram-Roodal stopped dancing many moons ago, she never thought of returning to the stage, but she returned and caused a stir as she performed with her two daughters.
Entrepreneur Parasram-Roodal described her recent return to the stage in Sandra Sookdeo's Festival of Indian Folk dances (Lok Utsav) as "just like the old days."
Together with Sookdeo, Parasram-Roodal and businessman Ramnath Harrilal were among the first students of the National Council of Indian Culture's (NCIC) Kala Kendra Dance Group. The Dance Group was first taught by Indian-born couple Pratap and Priya Pawar and later by Pradeep Shankar in 1980s.
Of all the students, national award recipient Sookdeo is the only one who devoted her life to learning and teaching the art. Since her return from scholarship to India, Sookdeo with her Kala Mandir dancers, has held annual dance/dramas. This year, when she planned to host the Folk dances to celebrate her national award, Sookdeo invited her former dance colleagues to rejoice with her. They were happy about returning to the stage at Naparima Bowl.
Ramnath partnered with Sookdeo, giving her students a chance to see their tutor perform. Ramnath's wife Nalini also performed.
Parasram-Roodal, a dancer for 37 years and a former Miss Mastana Bahar said, "I always love dancing and when Sandra asked me to accompany her on stage, it just felt great to go back, like the old days. It was even greater knowing that my two daughters Ashti and Priyankar would be dancing also."
Ashti, a maintenance engineer at Neal and Massy Wood Group and Priyanka, an International Tourism Management student at UWI, shone in the light of their mother's radiance on stage.
The girls who have developed their own stage presence were delighted that they could perform with both their mother and guru on stage. "It's a blessing, especially as they are both our role models," they told T&T Guardian.
Meanwhile, Parasram-Roodal said, "I feel great at the success of our performances, so glad that I could still perform." Dance, she said, has given her and her daughters, "the opportunities to meet people, to perform for the community in charitable events and instill discipline in the children."
Parasram-Roodal recommends the arts and cultural involvement as a means of keeping children away from unwanted and negative activities.
"I recommend the involvement in culture and arts because it promotes discipline, it's a physical exercise and it gives a sense of fulfillment achievement and self-worth."
Priyankar who started dancing at four, with Sookdeo said: "Dancing is relaxing form of exercise and keeps me focused". In addition to her university life, she is a Mehendi artist, plays the keyboard and violin and decorates with her mother in the business Prishantis Oriental, Chaguanas. She described her dance Guru Sookdeo as "a great guru and disciplinarian, a very thorough and passionate teacher."
Ashti, who started dancing at seven said, "I balance dance and school and now work. This by itself has taught me time management, a skill I use in every aspect of my life. Dance has always been more than a hobby to me, so I have always tried to find the time to include it in my life. It's my avenue for stress relief, exercise, creative expression and fun."
She is also a Mehendi artist and plays the harmonium.
She described her dancer tutor as: "an outstanding Guru, an ideal role model a guiding force in my life as a mentor, disciplinarian and educator. She leads and teaches by example in her daily life. (With reporting by Yvonne Webb)
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