INSIDE MAURITIUS THE ART OF DISCOVERY 48 Light and graceful, they flit from one mirror to the next. A waltz of powder puffs and coloured brushes, a tinkling of bangles and a rustling of shimmering fabrics. The atmosphere is cheerful and purposeful in the house of Michèle Baechler Kauppaymuthoo, 73. Born in Alsace, France, she followed her Tamil husband to Mauritius at the age of 21, where she became one of the pioneers of Bharata Natyam. Her two former students, Pooneeda and Komala, are here, as is the dancer, choreographer and teacher Jaykumaren Iyasamy, who has come with his young pupils from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI). They’re all preparing to dance. THE MIRROR OF GESTURE The young girls are transformed into goddesses: black hair braided
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