How Bharatanatyam is transforming the lives of girls in villages near Vellore

‘Eriyae daivam enru…’ — a breezy opus brought a radical of enthusiastic small girls onto the stage. Dressed successful colourful costumes, with delicate creepers woven into their hairsbreadth arsenic jewellery, they joined their teacher, Moogambigai Murugesan, to execute a Bharatanatyam piece. They danced with joyousness to the opus that talked astir preserving the Eri (pond successful Tamil) arsenic deity — not conscionable arsenic a root of water, but arsenic a nurturing situation for fish, crabs and different creatures. The grooming was evident successful a show marked by vigour and confidence. For the archetypal time, K. Velur, a tiny colony 119 km from Chennai, played big to a classical creation presentation. For the residents, it was hard to judge that specified an lawsuit could instrumentality spot successful their colony — 1 that featured girls from adjacent areas.

Moogambigai, who was raised successful a household wherever boys are valued much than girls, had resigned herself to a stereotypical aboriginal — a authorities occupation aft college, followed by matrimony and children. She was not adjacent alert that a creation signifier called Bharatanatyam existed. The thought that she mightiness 1 time thatch creation to children successful villages had ne'er crossed her mind. Nor had she imagined that creation could empower women until she met Sangeeta Isvaran, who had recognised the inherent powerfulness of the mean aboriginal successful life.