‘Eriyae daivam enru…’ — a breezy song brought a group of enthusiastic little girls onto the stage. Dressed in colourful costumes, with delicate creepers woven into their hair as jewellery, they joined their teacher, Moogambigai Murugesan, to perform a Bharatanatyam piece. They danced with joy to the song that talked about preserving the Eri (pond in Tamil) as god — not just as a source of water, but as a nurturing habitat for fish, crabs and other creatures. The training was evident in a performance marked by vigour and confidence. For the first time, K. Velur, a small village 119 km from Chennai, played host to a classical dance presentation. For the residents, it was hard to believe that such an event could take place in their village — one that featured girls from nearby areas.

Moogambigai, who was raised in a family where boys are valued more than girls, had resigned herself to a stereotypical future — a government job after college, followed by marriage and children. She was not even aware that a dance form called Bharatanatyam existed. The thought that she might one day teach dance to children in villages had never crossed her mind. Nor had she imagined that dance could empower women until she met Sangeeta Isvaran, who had recognised the inherent power of the medium early in life.

To experience this aspect of the art form, Sangeeta, as a young dancer, participated in workshops organised by The Aseema Trust at SOS Children’s village and at Avvai Home with her guru Kalanidhi Narayanan. It proved to be a turning point in her life, eventually leading her to use dance as a tool of change.

Moogambigai was among the many youngsters to be impacted by Sangeeta’s initiatives, and she began teaching dance to gain economic independence. “I was delighted when I could buy things with my own money. It has strengthened my body and mind,” she says.

Moogambigai and her group have been performing in villages around Kanchipuram and have also performed at Rangashankara in Bengaluru. It reflects both their rootedness and growing visibility beyond the rural circuit. The youngster’s growing passion for the dance form shows in the way she views the traditional repertoire. Referring to compositions that usually show the nayika forgiving the hero for all transgressions, she points out, “Not all songs show the heroine as weak and submissive. There are also those compositions such as the javali ‘Yaarukkaagilum bhayama’ (not scared of anyone) that taught me fearlessness.”

Says Sangeeta, “The women portrayed in the swarajathi, ‘Kallaanalum pullaanalum en purushan’ still exist in our society. Who am I to put a moral compass on them? It teaches me to respect everyone, even if I don’t agree with the content.”

As the evening drew to a close, you realise how profoundly art can reach out and transform lives.