Dancer Leeann Dass-Maharaj teaches the 'language of the soul'

At the age of three Leeann Dass-Maharaj discovered a love for dance and was encouraged to see where that love took her. Twenty-seven years later she is the founder, leader and artistic director of the 4.1.1. Dance Theatre and understands exactly what iconic American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham meant when she said, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body.”

Dass-Maharaj told WMN, “I had a love for dancing since I was three. My mom and granny used to be watching these Indian movies, and you know with these movies there was always a lot of dancing. I would follow the routines and they (Granny and Mom) encouraged me to pursue it. Now dance is a part of me.”

Among some of her most memorable dance performances were at an Indian Arrival Day function in Guyana in 2013, and at a family wedding in the US in 2019, where she felt her movements were able to break cultural barriers and she was able to tell a story her audience understood through dance.

She said over the years she has diligently trained in authentic and modern East Indian dance with various local dance groups, and has also mastered many of the techniques by watching YouTube videos and consistently practising.

Dass-Maharaj, a marketing specialist at Vibe Connections Ltd, formed 4.1.1. Dance Theatre in January 2016. Its name is significant: 4.1.1. because she felt she had an important message to spread through dance (4-1-1, the telephone number for local directory assistance in Canada and the US, is also slang for "information") and in numerology, the angel number 411 symbolises patience, commitment and hard work.

The company is based in Princes Town.

“When I started, it was with one part-time class. Eventually I expanded and had various dance groups in Princes Town, Chaguanas, Couva, Barrackpore to do my part in keeping our East Indian culture alive in Trinidad and Tobago,” she told WMN. "Now, because of the pandemic, those classes are strictly online."

Before March 2020, she also did in-person tutoring at the Tulsa Trace and San Francique Hindu schools.

“Covid put a stop to all that. I am still not too sure how things will work out after the pandemic, but for now all my other classes will continue online.”

The hour-long classes are offered on the Zoom platform. Dass-Maharaj has approximately 80 registered students, aged four and up.

Unlike other dance schools, 4.1.1. was a bit late getting started with online classes.

“When the pandemic started, we had no dance classes from March to October,” she said, which forced the cancellation of the school’s annual dance concert, usually held in August. But when the virtual classes started, her students were able to learn their routines and were ready for a virtual concert in December.

“Some were a little rusty and I had to do a little more work with them to get back in form, but they made me proud.”

While she schools her young students in dance, she also taps into another natural talent to make sure they put on a good showing whenever and wherever they perform (Dass-Maharaj and her students have performed at the Divali Nagar and at the Chutney Soca Monarch competition alongside a number of artistes). She told WMN she has a knack for fashion designing and is currently looking at avenues through which she can develop that talent.

“I source my material, design my outfits and have my seamstress, Jennifer Aziz, make them. I also design all the dance outfits for 4.1.1. Dance Theatre. I’m looking at online courses in designing that I can do. That is one of my goals this year.”

Originally from Princes Town, Dass-Maharaj moved to Gasparillo when she married Reyan Maharaj three years ago. She told WMN family is everything to her, and getting her family together for events is one of the things she most looks forward to when the pandemic is over. She especially misses big birthday celebrations, for which she goes all out.

“I love birthdays and I enjoy making them special. So I’ll do parties, photos shoots and videos. And I love to cook.” She said she is willing to do her part to help in getting TT reopened as soon as possible, including getting vaccinated.

“I haven’t taken the vaccine yet, but I’m planning to as soon as I can.

"Everybody wants things to go back to normal as soon as possible, but everyone has to do their part. I’m a bit nervous about it, but at the end of the day we have to do what’s necessary.”

Dass-Maharaj said she has always had a lot to be thankful for and is always looking for ways to give back. She donates to children’s homes, the homeless, and families in need.

“In addition, at Christmas I do a Santa’s Helpers Charity Drive. Last year made it five years since I started. I encourage my dancers, parents, family and friends to get together and we collect and distribute approximately 1,500 toys and party bags to the kids, and 100 food hampers to families. We go from Princes Town, the St Julien area and Williamsville into Gasparillo, giving out to families in need.”

Dance has taken Dass-Maharaj down an exciting road, but she believes she and 4.1.1 Dance Theatre still have a long way to go. She envisions many more physical locations throughout TT, in-person and online local and international workshops, and programmes to train her students to become tutors. On June 1 she will be launching an online class for beginners, and even after restrictions are lifted, she said that class will continue to be conducted online.

“I would like to encourage young people to use their time wisely, to empower themselves by learning something new or becoming better at what they already know.”

For more information follow 4.1.1 Dance Theatre on Facebook, @ 411dancetheatre or @ leeann_ _ 411 on Instagram, or visit 411 Dance Theatre on You Tube.