Sangeeta Raju believes that dance is more than an art form. It is a connection to her ancestry, a way of understanding her identity and an opportunity to bring people together through culture and movement.
The Halifax-based dance artist has spent much of her life exploring the relationship between dance, culture and community. Now, through her growing practice and newly established classes at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, Raju hopes to introduce more people in Nova Scotia to the traditions of Indian classical dance while creating a welcoming space for people to learn, connect and express themselves.
Born in Halifax and raised primarily in Ottawa, Raju’s relationship with dance began at an early age, with inspiration coming from her grandmother.
Growing up, Raju remembers visiting her grandmother’s home in Halifax’s South End, where she would show her videocassette tapes of Indian dance dramas. Raju was fascinated by the performances, often attempting to copy the movements she watched on screen.
When her family moved to Ottawa, her parents enrolled her in Indian classical dance classes. She began studying Odissi, a classical dance form originating in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, at Upasana, The Theatre of Dance.
Her artistic interests extended beyond dance. Raju attended Canterbury High School in Ottawa, where she participated in the visual arts program, immersing herself in different creative disciplines.
While dance started as an extracurricular activity, her understanding of its significance has evolved considerably as she has grown older.
Raju’s family is originally from Andhra Pradesh, in southern India. Although she practices a classical dance form from another region of the country, she says dance has become one of her strongest connections to her cultural background and family history.
“As somebody born and raised in Canada, my relationship to dance has changed a lot,” Raju says. “As a kid, it’s kind of like there’s a lot of discipline involved, and your parents put you in dance as an extracurricular activity. But I feel, for me, as an adult, my relationship to dance has changed in that I see it as a really spiritual thing.”
For Raju, Odissi is a way to maintain a relationship with South Asian culture, including the philosophy, traditions and ways of life that have influenced generations of her family.
She describes the experience of dancing as grounding, allowing her to connect with her body, mind, ancestry and a history that stretches far beyond her own lifetime.
The movements of Odissi, which draw inspiration from ancient temple sculptures, also give her a different perspective on her identity as a South Asian woman growing up in Canada.
“When I’m dancing, I feel like a temple sculpture. I feel like centuries of history,” she says.
Although she may be among a small number of Odissi practitioners in Halifax, Raju finds comfort in knowing that dancers around the world are learning and practising the same movements, music and traditions.
The importance of creating spaces for cultural expression is particularly relevant as Halifax continues to welcome newcomers from around the world.
According to Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census data, India was the leading country of birth among recent immigrants to the Halifax Regional Municipality between 2016 and 2021.
Of the 17,955 recent immigrants recorded during that period, approximately 3,230 were born in India, representing 18 per cent of recent arrivals. This was a notable increase from the 755 people, recorded in the 2016 Census for the previous five-year immigration period.
As the city’s cultural landscape evolves, opportunities to experience and learn about different traditions become increasingly important.
Dance can provide people with opportunity, bringing people together regardless of their cultural background or previous experience. It offers a way for individuals to embrace their own identities while sharing their traditions with others.
Research conducted for the Canada Council for the Arts’ 2014 Yes I Dance: A Survey of Who Dances in Canada supports the importance of this social connection. Among leisure dance participants surveyed, 72 per cent identified social connection as a reason for participating in dance. Respondents also described dance as a source of joy, creativity and mental and physical well-being.
Beyond the growing interest in Indian classical dance, reported figures point to an 18.9 per cent increase in interest in classical Indian dance forms and a 6.2 per cent increase in registrations. These figures suggest a growing desire for opportunities to learn, experience and participate in traditional dance practices.
For Raju, these connections are central to why she wants to make Indian classical dance more accessible in Halifax.
Over the past two to three years, she has recommitted herself to training in Indian classical dance at a higher level. She has travelled to South India for two intensive training programs with renowned Odissi dancer, choreographer and teacher Bijayini Satpathy.
Her continued development has been supported by arts funding and training opportunities, including grants from Arts Nova Scotia. She has also received support to study with Yamini Kaluri, a Kuchipudi dance teacher from Andhra Pradesh.
But Raju’s ambitions extend beyond her own development as a performer.
After a friend and fellow dance educator recognized an opportunity to introduce Odissi to the Maritime Conservatory, the institution began offering registered classes with Raju as the instructor.
The classes form part of her broader goal of increasing the visibility of South Asian performing arts in Halifax and making cultural dance education more accessible.
Raju currently teaches two Saturday classes at the conservatory. One is geared towards teenagers and includes students already enrolled in the institution’s ballet program, while the other is an adult drop-in class held at 11 a.m.
The classes welcome people with different levels of dance experience, including those who may be more interested in learning about Indian culture, history and technique than pursuing formal dance training.
For Raju, that accessibility is important. She wants people to understand that they do not need an extensive background in dance to participate or appreciate the art form.
She also envisions a future where cultural dance education is integrated into broader performing arts programming.
“I’d love to, in the future, have it so that South Asian folks can come learn ballet but also learn their cultural practices,” she says. “It could be a whole integrated program where people can learn different dance disciplines.”
Bringing traditions together through movement
Her work in Halifax also reflects an interest in bringing different artistic traditions together.
In July, Raju premiered a new 30-minute performance at the Sanctuary Arts Centre, supported by an Arts Nova Scotia grant. The production brought together Celtic music and Indian classical dance through a cross-cultural collaboration featuring a three-piece string ensemble and two contemporary dancers.
She sees these collaborations as an opportunity to develop a contemporary South Asian dance vocabulary while working alongside artists from different disciplines.
She is also scheduled to participate in a Nov. 18 panel discussion hosted by the Canadian Dance Assembly, titled “Nurturing Community Relations,” which will bring together panellists for a national conversation about building relationships through dance.
“I’d love for people to think about dance as a way of connection to people and a relationship to culture and lineage,” Raju says. “I want people to have fun and enjoy dance more. That’s my ultimate goal: for people to be in their bodies and just stay connected to them.”
