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Meet the founder
Welcome, I'm Dr Shalini Moorthy-Sankar, founder of Samarasa.
My dance journey began at the age of seven, when my dearest mother choreographed my very first performance for a school competition in India. I won a prize that day, but more importantly, she sparked a lifelong love for dance. Everything that followed began with that moment.
After moving to the United Kingdom, I found myself navigating a new culture and searching for a sense of belonging. Through it all, dance remained my constant—a way to stay connected to my heritage, express myself and find confidence when much around me felt unfamiliar.
As my passion grew, I trained in Indian semi-classical and Bollywood cinematic dance through the Newcastle Hindu Temple and later the North East Indian Cultural Trust. Since then, I have performed at several events organised by arts development organisations including, Kalapremi, GemArts and SpiceFM while delivering workshops and choreographing performances for local community groups including Girlguiding and the Our Newcastle Association of Malayalees.
Alongside dance, I have built a successful career in science, completing a PhD in Cancer Research, dedicating more than a decade to medical research and leading drug discovery programmes in Oncology and Neuroscience. In addition, I'm a coder, a graphic designer and an avid music and video editor. While science gave me discipline and curiosity, dance nourished my soul and healed my inner self during times of stress and trauma.
Founded on the belief that dance is a universal language, Samarasa exists to celebrate multiculturalism, encourage inclusion and bring people together through creativity, culture and shared experiences.
Welcome to Samarasa. I'd love for you to be part of the journey. Together, let's integrate, one dance at a time.
Why Samarasa Exists
Life has taken me through many difficult chapters. From racism, bullying and discrimination in my early years, to navigating grief following the devastating loss of my mother, and more recently pregnancy, a complex childbirth, postpartum and rediscovering my identity. Through every challenge, dance has remained my constant—a place of comfort, expression and joy.
At the heart of Samarasa is my mother. She introduced me to dance, nurtured my creativity and had an extraordinary gift for bringing people together. Her kindness, compassion and unwavering belief in community continue to inspire everything Samarasa stands for.
Created in her honour, Samarasa is a welcoming, non-judgemental space where everyone belongs.
My hope is that every person who walks through our doors leaves feeling lighter, happier and more connected than when they arrived.
Samarasa's Vision
✦ Integrate Communities
Creating welcoming spaces where people of all cultures and backgrounds can connect through the universal language of dance.
✦ Nourish Mental Wellbeing
Providing joyful, supportive experiences where movement promotes confidence, belonging and emotional wellbeing. Samarasa warmly welcomes new mothers and anyone navigating life's more difficult chapters.
✦ Broaden Cultural Understanding
Celebrating the rich diversity of Indian dance by introducing audiences to styles that extend beyond the familiar, encouraging curiosity and appreciation for India's many cultural traditions.
