ANNOTTO BAY, St Mary — Colourful costumes and graceful moves by the Tapasya cultural troupe made for extraordinary performances that left residents of south-eastern St Mary captivated during shows recently staged at three schools across the parish.

Staged under the auspices of the High Commission of India in collaboration with Ashish Health Care and Indra Pharma, the shows were a breath-taking exhibition of various styles of Manipuri dance, encompassing both classic and folk dance moves.

Manipur is a state in north-eastern India, bordering two regions of Myanmar.

It was the troupe’s first visit to Jamaica.

Among those enchanted by the performances was teenager Khaheel Haughton.

“It was colourful and intriguing,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Audience participation was encouraged during performances that showcased dancers’ skills wielding the sword, ramping up the excitement at each venue.

The St Mary stops, which followed a performance at Up Park Camp, were hosted by Annotto Bay Primary, Enfield Primary, and St Mary Technical. The final performance for the parish was held in the Annotto Bay car park.

In thanking the people of St Mary for their warm reception, High Commissioner for India to Jamaica Masakui Rungsung made special mention of Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Norman Dunn for facilitating the visit.

In turn, Dunn commended the high commissioner for his work in sensitising Jamaicans to Indian culture.

It is important, the MP noted, for countries to engage in cultural exchange. He promised that the performances by the dance troupe were just a start.

“There are a lot of Indian descendants here [in St Mary], including myself,” Dunn told the high commissioner.

He also used the occasion to laud Ashish Health Care principal, Dr Nagendra Babu Chandolu, for his role in the organisation and execution of the events within the parish.

Dr Chandolu has built a solid reputation for his philanthropic deeds, offering back-to-school medicals to students at no cost and distributing care packages through his Ashish Community Health Organization (ACHO).