Dear Reader

Anyone who knows me well knows I love to dance. I don't need any stimulants to get me up. I can dance anywhere, any time, any place anywhere, Dancing ignites my mind, body, and soul, and I lose myself to the rhythm of the Dance. 

 

I was a second-generation kid, growing up in London with Mauritian immigrant parents. I danced incessantly every weekend at family gatherings and in the playground, teaching fellow schoolmates Madonna dance routines. I always felt that Dance was my secret power, bringing me boundless joy. 

I was also trained in Indian Classical Kathak dance as a young child. I performed very proudly back then with my elder sister, a biologist turned bellydancer, all over London venues and the Commonwealth Institute in London to hundreds of people.  

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I often danced in the kitchen while my mother cooked delicious Mauritius dishes made with fragrant spices, herbs, and chilies from their motherland Mauritius. I remember the intoxicating pungent smells wafting through my nostrils and stirring my digestion up while I danced. Coming from Mauritius allowed us to be exposed to various cultures, cuisines, and people because we visited the island frequently, and I spent many long summers there. Mauritius is a melting pot of ethnicities, and Mauritians are quite a diverse group of people and quite an unusual harmonious race. As a commonwealth country, they enjoyed the best of everything. British, French, Indian, and African Influences played a significant role in their history, which are reflected in their culture, food, and lifestyles. 

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Coming from a large family of first and second cousins post Dancing, vibrant, spicy, and nourishing food was always on the menu and served. Everyone would eat together, chowing down on delicious, nourishing curries, parathas, chutneys, pickles, yogurt, and share stories or jokes. My late father, Gaya, was a pillar of the Mauritian community and a Hindu Priest. He would often recount stories of his childhood growing up on the enchanting island of Mauritius. More spiritual than religious his wish was for us to retain our Mauritian culture and roots. So we learned Sanskrit mantras, attended Vedic prayer ceremonies and hawans, in the community or at our home, and ate plenty of pooja foods served in the Temples - i.e., foods fit for the gods, so think plant-based, vegetarian, wholesome, and nourishing foods.

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Back then, I was never allowed to consider Dance as a career. I was raised to 'study hard,' get a degree and get a respectable job like a lawyer, doctor, and dentist. But, of course, I rebelled from doing those things and opted for a hospitality career so I could travel the world and 'escape,' as my sister puts it.   My parents came from a village aptly called 'Bon Acceuil' Mauritius, which in French means welcome, so you could say Hospitality is in my DNA. Hospitality was a chance for me to travel the world and experience new cultures, Dance, and flavors. And I had this dream of renovating my dad's beach property in Mauritius into a boutique hotel when I grew up, which I did years later in my early twenties. After working and living in Mauritius, sucking as much culture, Dance, and food on the island as I could.

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Looking back, Dance was always a central theme throughout my life. I graduated in Hospitality Management (surprisingly) from London Southbank University, considering it was next door to London's original dance club' Ministry of Sound: where I spent many late nights dancing to House Music and the likes of Eric Morillo. 

After a brief stint back in London, where I learned Salsa at  Covent Garden's Pineapple Dance Studios, also I joined a Sega Group( Sega is Mauritius's national Dance) performing across London at prestigious venues. After that, I  began a new chapter in New York working for Ian Schrager and Morgans Hotel Group rather apt, wouldn't you say, that I should end up working for a nightlife impresario who put dancing on the map with his infamous nightclub Studio 54 and his collection of boutique hotels that were all about let's face it partying in the public spaces. I remember the Delano garden parties.……

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 After years of a successful corporate job in the luxury hotel boutique and a brief move into the world of fabulous high-end parties and events under lifestyle and event guru Colin Cowie, I met my Hubby, Yusef Austin, a rockstar mixologist. We founded The Cocktail Architect, an immersive experiential events and experiences mixology company. Dancing fell to the back burner. And it was not until after my son. Revel's birth, I yearned for something different. I took some much-needed time out.

 

 

During this time of reflection, I  spent a summer by the ocean at my friend's place in the Hamptons. It was here that I found myself going full circle and back to my roots, doing the things I loved most, Dancing, writing, cooking, and began studying Ayurveda, the Science of Life, as it came so intuitively to me coming from an Indian background, where my Grandmother had practiced this ancient Indian holistic healing modality.I also began meditating and manifested the Director of Business Development role at The David Lynch Foundation. Yes, this is true, where I worked alongside Both Roth Meditation teachers to every luminary, celebrity, and high-profile CEO'. I  was responsible for the nonprofit's corporate wellness division, providing Meditation to Fortune 500 companies as a professional development tool. In addition, I curated partnerships and programming with wellness-driven hospitality programs and wellness day retreats for spas and hospitality brands worldwide.  

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I moved to Brooklyn and began hosting my pop-up Mauritian-inspired supper clubs and cocktail parties in New York and the Hamptons to keep connected to my roots. Post dinner, we would dance in my living room, usually to Sega music, to begin with. Then, we'd dance our way through the decades, picking out our favorite tracks from the late 60,70, The 80s, the 90s, house music, and folk and slow songs. Life was moving along so fast, and my father's health was on the decline even though when he passed away, it was so hard. However, I often believe the universe and my dad's energy helped me face the loss by giving me a surprise, a baby Zeal, born a year later and has the curiosity and charm of my late father, Gaya. 

 

When Covid hit, it was time to rethink, it made us press the eject button to greener pastures, and I moved Upstate NY in 2021 to the Hudson Valley. Coming from Brooklyn, where I was spoilt with a choice of dance classes, it was pretty tricky for me as a mother of two to find an outlet where I could dance, connect with other women and build community. And so I began dancing again, at first in my living room, on my deck, on a rock in a hayfield beside my house, anywhere I could. 

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I realized that in today's fast-moving world. So many of us are coping with overload and overwhelm. We're all rushing around life, being ruled by technology gadgets and devices, and the truth of the matter is we have forgotten how to connect with ourselves on a deeper level, and each other as human beings and become totally disconnected from ourselves and one another. I aim to draw people together from all walks of life to experience to come together to experience fitness in a new, fun way. I love Dancing; although it increases heart rates and burns calories, it doesn't feel like exercise! However, I know that Dancing regularly lifts my spirits and makes me happy and motivated, so I can feel my best, maintain my weight and balance myself. So to inspire others with this notion and build the community, I now teach dance classes geared to raising your vibrational spirit.

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