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Pride India! Chennai Gets Exclusive Dance School For Transgender Community, Offers Free Training
Writer: Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
Tamil Nadu, 22 Jun 2022 9:13 AM GMT
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A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
Currently, 15-20 students are enrolled in the school, trained by Master Shanmuga Sundaram, one of the country’s leading Bharatanatyam dancers.
A Bharatanatyam dance school, exclusively for members of the transgender community, was opened in Aminjikarai in Chennai recently. A joint initiative of Kerala-based Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust and an NGO Sahodaran, the dance school, offers free classes every Sunday.
Currently, 15-20 students are enrolled in the school, trained by Master Shanmuga Sundaram, one of the country's leading Bharatanatyam dancers.
"This is the first exclusive dance school for the transgender community in Tamil Nadu," transgender activist Kalaimamani Sudha told The Times of India, adding that they are ready to arrange classes in other districts of the state if they get enough takers.
Platform For Transgenders To Express Talent
Dr C Sunil Menon, the founder of Sahodaran, said that the initiative would be a platform for transgender individuals to express their talents. The Sathya Sai Trust had opened a similar dance school, exclusively for transgender people, in Kerala a few months ago.
"When they approached us to open a similar academy in Chennai, we were thrilled and excited. As a community, we love to perform as we are born entertainers," Menon told The Indian Express.
Menon believes that getting an opportunity to learn classical dance is something they always aspired to.
"We have had role models like Dr Narthaki Natraj and Mallika Panicker, who made a name not only for themselves but for the transgender community also. We are happy that Mallika is part of our committee as well," he said.
He added they wanted this service to be available to the trans community free of cost as it would encourage more individuals to join and learn the art. Based on the interest of members and more enrolments, the institution plans to teach other dance forms also.
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