Kilvonian Spotlight - Gaya Wignarajah

Gaya Wignarajah,                     Class of 2003

Gaya is an experienced educator and curriculum leader who is currently teaching science to secondary school students at St Leonard's College. As a proud alumnus, Gaya has always carried with her the values, confidence and sense of community that were nurtured during her time at Kilvington. Those foundations came full circle when she had the extraordinary opportunity to share a deeply personal part of her heritage on one of Australia’s biggest cultural stages. 

CELEBRATING CULTURE ON THE MELBOURNE FASHION WEEK STAGE 

Last year, I had the incredible privilege of performing Bharatha Natyam, a South Indian classical dance form that I have learned, performed and taught for more than three decades, on the stage at Melbourne Fashion Week (MFW). The opportunity came through my dear friend, a visionary founder of Kahini, Ms Piyali Somaia, whose collaboration with Collarts and The Social Studio shaped this year’s festival theme: celebrating culture, creativity and community through storytelling. It felt like the perfect moment to bring together my cultural roots, my lifelong passion for the performing arts and the values instilled in me during my Kilvington years (1998-2003).

As a third culture kid, the experience was deeply personal. Growing up, many of us in the South Asian community shared the quiet ache of wanting to ‘blend in’ – to tuck away our culture, language, clothing and art in exchange for acceptance. Today, to be able to stand centre-stage at MFW draped in a sari, dancing an ancient art form that carries generations of memory and strength, felt like a full-circle moment. What we once hid, we are now proudly beaming into the spotlight.

Bharatha Natyam has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. I began learning at the age of four and, what started as dance classes, quickly became something much bigger, an anchor. Beyond the physical precision, the demanding movements and the discipline required, Bharatha Natyam is about storytelling: intricate expressions, rhythms, formations and an unspoken unity with fellow dancers as we move as one. Through those stories, I connected more deeply with my culture, heritage, language and spirituality – each gesture echoing traditions thousands of years old.

After a thirteen-year hiatus from performing, returning to the stage two years ago to celebrate my teacher’s 40th annual concert and perform with her on stage, was profoundly meaningful. I needed that break. Those years of finding my own path allowed me to return to dance entirely on my own terms. Rediscovering Bharatha Natyam felt like choosing it again: with clarity, gratitude and a renewed love.

My life has also been shaped by service, something woven into my upbringing long before I arrived at Kilvington. My family has always been deeply rooted in community work and I grew up surrounded by people who lived lives of generosity and responsibility. Whether I was volunteering at charity events organised by the Tamil diaspora, through performances or MC-ing, I learned early that contributing to something bigger than myself was energising, purposeful and fulfilling. Kilvington strengthened this foundation. The School’s culture, and our motto, Non nobis sed omnibus (Not for our own, but others’ good), aligned perfectly with what I had already been taught at home. I carry that with me still.

So, when I learned what the Social Studio was doing through the Sari Project – empowering migrant women through education, skill-building and sustainable fashion – and when I saw how beautifully this aligned with Kahini’s mission to uplift women through community and storytelling, the decision to participate felt natural. Yes, the thought of performing after so long and sharing my cultural art form with a global audience was overwhelming. But that vulnerability was met with encouragement, celebration and so much love.

Performing alongside so many talented artists and working with the incredible models was an honour. The energy backstage was electric: creative, collaborative and rooted in mutual respect. It reminded me that art is never just performance; it is connection.

Since becoming a mother, sharing my culture has become even more important. I want my children to see their heritage not as something to minimise, but as something to celebrate and to understand that this is what it truly means to be Australian: a living, breathing mosaic of cultures, stories and identities.

Melbourne Fashion Week was more than a performance. It was a celebration of community, womanhood, heritage, identity and service. And I am grateful to have carried a piece of my culture, with pride, joy and gratitude, onto that stage.