Last year, seven transwomen made history at the Ernakulam Siva Temple with their arangettam performance of Bharatanatyam. It marked the first time a group of transwomen got to perform classical dance at a temple event in the state.
For the dancers from the Sri Sathya Sai Free Dance Academy, this was more than just a performance — it was a moment of recognition and acceptance, made even more special by the presence of former President Ram Nath Kovind.
Daya Gayathri, Karthika Ratheesh, Sruthi Sithara, Sriya Divakaran, Mythili, Sandhya Ajith, and Sangeetha, under the guidance of their teacher Sanjana Chandran, cherish this milestone with immense pride.
“As someone who has been training in Bharatanatyam for many years, I found that performance particularly special. Yes, performing in front of the former President was overwhelming. But beyond that, it was an important step for inclusivity and visibility for our community,” says Sanjana, a transgender danseuse who played a prominent role in Malaikottai Vaaliban by Lijo Jose Pellissery.
“As their teacher, I am proud – to have trained my students for such a respected venue, helping them break barriers that I had to face alone in my journey. All of these ‘firsts’ came together during that event.”
Returning to the stage
This year, on February 6, the group once again became a centre of attention with their performance at Durbar Hall Ground as part of the Ernakulam Siva Temple’s annual festival.
However, due to challenges in training and health issues, only four of the original team — Sriya, Mythili, Sandhya, and Karthika — were able to perform. They, however, were joined by two new faces, Rana V S and Anoushka. Sanjana, too, took to the stage this year.
Debutant Rana V S , who hails from Thrissur and is now settled in Malappuram, is on cloud nine. “This was my first performance on stage with a live orchestra. I had wondered if I would ever perform a katcheri because I wasn’t confident. Moreover, it is an expensive affair,” she says.
“I have faced many struggles because of my identity. Getting this opportunity was a blessing. As an artist, the performance gave me a sense of acceptance. I never had the chance to wear a beautiful costume or proper makeup before.”
The one-hour performance featured a Bharatanatyam katcheri titled ‘Tapasya’ and a classical dance drama, ‘Gouri Thirumanam’, depicting the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy.
According to Sanjana, the group often senses scepticism from others before their performances. “There’s a common notion that transwomen aren’t professional dancers and that they perform just out of interest,” she says.
But that wasn’t the case, Mythili asserts. “After the performance, we received a lot of compliments. We noticed a shift in how people viewed us,” she beams. “There were other performances that day, both group and solo acts, but we received comments on how we stood apart from the rest.”
‘We don’t want sympathy’
The dancers say they often feel that they are viewed through a lens of sympathy rather than merit. “We don’t want opportunities based on sympathy,” says Sanjana, who received the Natvar Gopikrishna National Award in 2021.
“People often see us as individuals who have struggled enough to deserve a stage. Yes, we worked hard to secure a venue, but art doesn’t have a gender. We should get opportunities because we are professional dancers, not because of our gender.”
Karthika, 31, from Kasaragod, points out that their performances are still framed by their identity rather than their craft. “Our performances are often announced as ‘performance by transgender artists’, while other performers are not labelled in the same way,” she notes.
“A woman dancer isn’t introduced as ‘performance by a woman’; they are recognised by their name or the troupe they belong to. So, it often feels like a form of sympathy and a way to draw publicity.”
‘Hard to get venues’
Despite their groundbreaking performance last year, the dancers feel there hasn’t been much change in securing venues. Sanjana acknowledges that her own fame has helped her find opportunities, but many emerging artists still face barriers.
“I ensure to include my students in most of the performances I am part of,” she says. “It’s my way of supporting them. But that doesn’t mean these performances come with good pay. Most of the time, the payment is minimal. Bharatanatyam comes with its own set of expenses, including costumes and preparation.”
The journey ahead is a challenge, Sanjana adds, particularly since well-known artists or those with a strong public profile tend to receive better opportunities and pay. “We got this opportunity because we come under the Sathya Sai Trust. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had such exposure,” she says.
“So far, we haven’t received direct invitations for any government programmes. I have reached out for performances. But, despite being a national awardee, I never heard back. I don’t know if it’s because of my gender or something else. As a group, we can only say we will excel if given the opportunity to perform on any revered stage.”
Breaking stereotypes
The Ernakulam Siva temple has been challenging biased norms for some time now. In recent years, the temple organisers have taken welcome steps towards inclusivity. Besides the performance of transgender dancers, the temple festival recently saw 44-year-old Lakshmi Devi playing the kurum kuzhal during a melam. “Historically, women have been excluded from male-dominated art forms. It was a conscious decision to break that tradition,” says Akhil Damodaran, devaswom officer at Ernakulam Siva temple. “Even in the case of including transgender artists, our aim was to break gender norms. After all, we believe in the concept of Ardhanarishvara. Not many temples would take such steps. Here, we believe that the temple should be a space that welcomes anyone passionate about showcasing their art. We will continue with such progressive steps. We hope more temples get inspired, especially in rural areas.”