When Jaya Dheer's mother persuaded her to study the more feminine art of dance as an antidote to Jaya's tomboyish ways she set her daughter on a career path that would change her life. Spanning five decades, Jaya's career has seen her work as a dancer, performer, choreographer, and workshop leader in both Britain and India. Indeed, by the age of 11 Jaya had already completed her classical dance training and in addition had begun to study ballet and folk dancing. As she matured, Jaya's passion for dance evolved into a professional vocation culminating in her becoming a performer with the Indian National Theatre in Bombay.
In 1983 Jaya moved to the UK, together with her husband Sudarshan, to develop the Heer and Ranjha project in Southall. According to Jaya it didn't take her long to get it up and running. 'After three months training with the local group we staged the play'.
After completing the project Jaya worked as a dance tutor in South Kensington before being invited to teach dance in Glasgow, a city the Dheers were to make their home between 1989 and 1997. During this time Jaya staged a number of productions that involved, 'taking the Indian Tales and showing them through dance, telling the story.'
Jaya's involvement with Arts Development began soon after Jaya moved to Slough in 1998. 'There was nothing happening towards Asian arts here.' Jaya recalls. Although Jaya had been involved with art departments in various councils, throughout her time in Britain, she had never applied for funding to maintain her projects. Jaya attended the Community Arts Training Scheme (CATS) in 2000 to better acquaint herself with the management of administration and volunteers. 'CATS helped a lot.' Says Jaya. 'Since 1999 we have done different projects every year.'
Jaya's main community focus is to assist women that might otherwise have nothing to do except sit at home. When asked why this is so important to her she replies, '[The women in Slough were] not involved in any artform. They had hidden talents within them but nobody was encouraging them or giving them opportunities.'
Jaya is currently working on two projects: Bhumika, a project to educate people as to how Asian music developed and Yuwati, a project that celebrates the Pakistani arts and gives young people the chance to engage in them.
Having met success as a dancer and project leader Jaya sees her future in promoting the health benefits of Yoga. 'I've done a project with the NHS where I introduced Yoga, about four years ago,' says Jaya, 'and that is going very well.' Jaya is happy as long as she is doing something. 'We are retired people, we are doing things to motivate health and mind. It makes me happy.'
Interview: Andrew Unsworth
Photograph: Malcolm Glover