KOZHIKODE: Terrible twos’ is a phrase used to describe the initial phase of a child’s social development. Dhanya Vijayan, 36, was just about two, when her doting parents noticed that she was struggling with grasping new information and skills. By the time she turned four, Dhanya was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, an incurable genetic disorder that causes developmental delays. For instance, Dhanya could not walk until the age of three. She could not speak properly until she turned five.
That shy little girl, however, has evolved into an ace classical dancer today. She also teaches dance and drama to children with disabilities at a special school in Kozhikode. Dhanya was born to Vijayan Payyakkil, a retired BSNL sub-divisional engineer, and Geetha based at Kottooli in Kozhikode. She was their second child. Geetha and Vijayan were determined to do whatever it took to promote Dhanya’s “overall personality development”.
They decided against sending her to a special school; Dhanya completed Class 10 from the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Parayancheri. As she started going to school, Geetha and Vijayan noted that Dhanya was interested in dance. They enrolled her for classical dance training as she turned 10.
“Thanks to speech therapy, Dhanya began to speak when she was four-and-a-half years old,” recalls Vijayan. “When we realised her love for dance, we decided that nothing should be an obstacle for her, not even Down Syndrome. We encouraged her to learn Bharatanatyam under the guidance of Kalamandalam Vinodini.”
It was an arduous experience for Dhanya initially, adds Vijayan. “She faced difficulty in comprehending and memorising the steps, the rhythm,” he says. “But she worked hard, and, subsequently, started learning Mohiniyattam, too, under Kalamandalam Sarawathi. Over the years, we could see remarkable improvement in our daughter’s memory power, speech and movements.”
Vijayan believes Dhanya is “one of the few dance teachers with Down Syndrome in the world”. Dhanya started excelling at school art festivals. She emerged as the winner in Bharatanatyam competitions for three consecutive years. That boosted her confidence.
She went on to perform on several stages in Kozhikode, and other districts. The real big bang came when she took to the stage at the World Down Syndrome Congress held in Chennai in 2015. Dhanya made an international mark at the annual event’s Bahrain edition, too, in 2019.
Two years after her Chennai experience, Dhanya joined Thanal Space Vocational Centre, Kappad, as a dance teacher. “Dance makes me happy. And I’m proud of imparting my knowledge to children with Down Syndrome,” smiles Dhanya, who has been busy coaching her students for a drama at Koyilandy on September 25.
“The journey has been tough. But, at the end of the day, I am happy about what I am doing. My life shows that anyone can live their life happily, no matter what one’s condition is.”