Internationally recognised Guyanese Indian dancer, Indranie Shah-Lennartson has died.

She was 50 years old.

Her sister, Dr. Sita Shah- Roath, confirmed that Indranie died Wednesday night in her sleep in a Swedish hospital. "She had been having treatment all the time. Only recently, she went into hospital," Sita told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com).

Indranie was a co-founder of the Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance troupe. She last performed in Guyana in 2011 in Nrityageet 33.

Indranie studied kathak and Indian folk dance inIndiaduring the 1980s.The late Shah was teaching kathak dance at a Swedish university up to the time of her death. She was also reading for a doctorate in linguistics.

“While inIndia, I not only received dance instructions in the style of the famous Birju Maharaj, but was able to travel around the countryside absorbing the vast multi-cultural experiences. Nadira, Mom, and I eventually learnt so much more about our cultures, our ancestry, authentic costuming for particular dance styles, dance genres, music type and so much, much more," she had told Sita in an interview.

Indranie was fascinated by the use of colours in the local clothing as well as other facets of society there. The buildings, the market places, the spices and flowers – all made an indelible impression she noted. Experiences such as these helped to form and influence her as a dancer and choreographer.    

Indranie recalled one particular experience in Rajasthan. “We were visiting a temple complex outside the city ofJaipur. I went off on my own to one of the smaller courtyard temples and sat all by myself. It was so peaceful and for a few magical moments I felt a sense of belonging, that it was all I ever knew, all my life.”

Dr. Shah-Roath says the dance troupe will continue under the guidance of Indranie's niece, Suzanne.

"We all thought we would have been burying mom but we have to bury her (Indranie) instead," Sita added.

Their mother is 77 years old. They lost their father in January,2012.

The Shahs hail fromGordon Street, Kitty,Georgetown.

The following article about Indranie first appeared in the Examiner.

Indranie speaks English and Swedish fluently and has studied multiple languages including French, Spanish and Hindi. Her current research pursuit is in linguistics exploring the retention of Indian languages in the current Guyanese English language. She is currently completing her Masters Degree at the University of Umeå, Sweden.

Performing in New Delhi, New York, Virginia, Sweden, and representing Guyana at Carifesta 1981 in Barbados and the World Trade Fairs – Expo 1998 in Portugal and Expo 2000 in Germany, and having her Swedish group perform a Rajasthani folk dance for Queen Silvia of Sweden at the Conference "New in Sweden" held in Umea, are among her international performances. One of her fondest memories is a performance with India’s famous Pt. Charan Girdhar Chand, in a little town far away from the bright city lights of India, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Indranie started dancing Kathak at age 11 as a student of Shri Pratap Pawar at the Indian Cultural Centre in Guyana, South America. She gave her first performance at the Deepavali Jalsa in 1975. The arrival of the renowned Kathak dancer Pandit Durgalall to Guyana in 1976 marked the beginning of a new sense of awareness for Indian heritage and culture in the field of the performing arts in that country. This was later reinforced by Pandit Charan Girdhar Chand. “Under their expert training and guidance, I gained invaluable experience which laid the foundation of our subsequent contribution to the cultural mosaic of Guyana,” Indranie declared.

Certificates of Excellence at Guyana Festival of Arts (Guyfesta) 1977 and 1980, coupled with numerous representations for the Indian Cultural Centre and the Guyana Department of Culture, heralded the advent of Nrityageet dance production. Indranie and her sister Nadira founded the Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance troupe and produced Nrityageet 1. Today the troupe has produced 30 annual dance productions, received several Guyana and Barbados theatre awards for best dance productions, best costumes, and best sets; Guyana’s national award – The Medal of Service for “Sustained and Outstanding Contribution to the Cultural Mosaic of Guyana”; and the New York Folk Festival Award for “Long and Sustained Dance Productions of Excellence.”

In 1984, Indranie was awarded an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship to further her studies in Dance in New Delhi, India. She attended the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra from April 1985 to December 1987. She was fortunate to have the young and innovative Vasvati Misra as her teacher and mentor.

The path of love led Indranie to Sweden where she married Anders Lennartson and they have two children, Ida Indira, and Johan. The Sweden chapter began in 1988. Indranie has since then continued to promote her cultural heritage through performing, teaching, workshops and cultural exhibitions showcasing Guyana and its diverse culture in Sweden and in other parts of the world

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