CHENNAI: There’s very little that ties Bharatanatyam with Belgium. But that’s only if you’re excluding a petite 22-year-old who goes by the name of Michelle Sequeira. If both her name and where she comes from make you doubt her ability at our treasured dance form, rest assured; she has been dancing and learning for the last decade and a half. “There were very few things Indian when we got to Belgium in the 90’s,” explains her mother Jacinta D’Souza, “We usually had to drag kids to the performances (laughs) but Michelle was hooked when she saw Bharatanatyam a few times.” And that’s how the saga began.Even as she prepares, nervously, for her debut margazhi performance in Chennai, Michelle traces her tryst with natyam and how finding a guru was a huge problem in Europe, “Until about seven years ago, I was learning slowly because there were almost no professional dance teachers in Belgium. But luckily, my guru Kalpana Raghuraman moved there and she accepted to teach me,” she beams - the smile of an enthusiastic performer. Incidentally, it was her guru who got her the show in Chennai, “I had been hearing so much about it, that it is very exciting to be here to dance,” she adds.After her arangetram in Belgium in 2006, she “did a few shows in Europe,” according to her. Her profile is more eloquent - over 15 performances at cultural festivals in Belgium, Holland, France and other places are impressive achievements for someone who also has a Masters degree in Information Engineering.The best part for the first-timer in Chennai is, admittedly, the shopping - “All these years, the saris and the jewellery had to be ordered and ferried abroad by friends or relatives. For the first time, I’m getting to shop on my own for the things I need to perform,” she says, now an ardent fan of Mylapore. For her mother though, this concert will be the most relaxed one in a while. Why? Because normally, she is the one who has to do Michelle’s make-up and hair “and it takes hours”. This time, a professional has been hired, so that she can watch her daughter get her make-up, sans losing her head! Michelle Sequeira will perform today at Smt Sivagami Pethachi Auditorium at 4 30 pm.
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