Kala Sangam - Bringing people together through South Asian and Interdisciplinary Arts

Memoir to Gillian Wallis

17th January 2012

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Dr Geetha Upadhyaya's memoir to Gillian Wallis - longstanding and loyal support of Kala Sangam - who sadly passed away last week.

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Memoir to Gillian Wallis

 Gillian Wallis was a great friend and supporter of Kala Sangam. In 1998, she came to Kala Sangam to learn classical Indian dance from me, at the Kala Sangam classes in the Humberside Dance Agency in Hull. Her passion for dance was so great that she soon became very involved both as a student and a performer.

In Hull, she met Caroline Dainty and Kate Lutley in the dance class and the 3 of them became good friends and worked together for dance. Their support for each other combined with their strong passion for dance led them to perform all over UK. They were given the nickname, Steel Magnolias, after the loyal group of friends in the famous Dolly Parton film of the same name.

As Gill’s love for dance grew, she travelled to India to explore and understand the nature of this art form. Gill loved India, and it was during this time that she became an integral part of my family. She was always there for me and she loved and supported Kala Sangam in every way she could.

Gill was an eager audience member and volunteer at so many Kala Sangam events, and always supported us as a volunteer and a great ambassador for our work. Gill will be greatly missed but her memory will always live with us, and the many others who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Dr Geetha Upadhyaya

Kala Sangam CEO & Artistic Director

January 2012