EN CHAQUE FEMME REPOSE DEVI
In March 2008, Consuelo Marlin was busy supporting L'Union des Femmes Martiniquaises, a feminist association providing support to the distressed on Martinique island, the French West Indies.
On March 27th and 28th she graced the Municipal Theatre of Fort-de-France with two evening performances on the theme In every woman dwells Devi the Goddess. Consuelo offered the moneys collected to support UFM's social work.
Consuelo is the daughter of Monsieur Luc Marlin, a famous martinican painter, and Madame Michelle Mondesir, an officer at SERMAC, Fort-de-France's renowned Center for Culture and the Arts created by late Monsieur Aimé Césaire.
She started learning various forms of Classical Indian dance there as a young girl under the guidance of pioneer teacher Madame Suzy Manyri and Pondicherry dancer extraordinaire, Sri Raghunath Manet.
Then she left for England to study Bharat Natyam for three and a half years under her Master Sri Prakash Yadagudde, at the renowned Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London, where she performed her Arangetram in 2002.
Later on, in 2004 Consuelo went to Chennai, India for six months to get further training under famous dance guru and choreographer Smt.Chitra Visweswaran.
Having been requested to perform at many an official event on her island and abroad, Consuelo Marlin has now gained full-fledged consecration as a French West Indian Bharat Natyam specialist.
An active certified Hatha Yoga teacher, she is currently running Apsara, her own blooming Yoga, Dance and Culture Institute in Fort-de-France.
Interestingly, she is not of indian descent. After her secondary studies, her now proud parents had to bend and accept her aspiration to become a professional Indian Dance étoile.
Consuelo's recognition as high-ranking artiste has been instrumental in bringing various aspects of the culture of India to the Martinican people who hold her talent in great esteem.
Texte et photos :
J.S Sahai ©2008.
Photographs were taken at the March 28th caritative performance. Click to enlarge.
