Young city dancers aim to break social stigma surrounding skin colour with a special performance

In a unique attempt to break social stigma and notions about the colour of one’s skin, a group of dancers have put together a

Bharatanatyam

performance based on a narrative that explains the same. To be staged at the ADA Rangamandira early next week, the focus is on raising awareness against discrimination based on colour and skin tone.

Choreographer Mithun Shyam, of Vaishnavi Natyashala, which is putting together this piece, tells us, “I always wondered why classical dancers continue to be judged by their physical appearance rather than their skill, practice and talent — with respect to their dance form. If one goes back in the history of Indian dance, you will notice that the devadasis and the

nautch

girls were admired for their art, despite being dark-skinned. So, if dark skinned individuals and dancers were accepted back in the day, then where and when did the racial stigma that exists today arise? We hope to be able to answer some of these questions through our production.”

The dance production —

Shyama Sundari

— which translates to ‘dusky beauty’, will be performed on the song Neela Megha Shyama. “The dancers will also bring in mythological references through their performances — like how Lord Krishna was admired for his skin-tone, making him stand out from the rest. As for the dancers, they are excited that they do not have to try to lighten their complexion before their performance. It makes them a lot more confident,” says Mithun.