Anjali Krishnadas
What Anjali Krishnadas did here
Creating Hand Gestures to Make Dance Learning Accessible
Only one student attended today’s class for children with hearing difficulties, as the others were unwell. I gave her individual attention and revised Nattadavu 1, 2 and 3 from the previous class. Today, I began creating my own hand gestures for dance terms and positions such as aramandi (half-sitting), samam (standing) and muzhu mandi (full-sitting). These gestures were not already part of our teaching method; I developed and introduced them to make dance instructions more accessible for my these students. Instead of relying on spoken reminders, I showed the student each gesture and explained the position it represented. She understood the gestures and responded by moving into the corresponding positions. For the last 15 minutes, she joined the other children’s batch to practise the Adavus. I stood near her and gave visual cues as she tried to follow along and dance with the group.
Welcoming a New Batch of Young Learners from Ashwasa Bhavan, Fort Kochi
Today, we began a new batch for four children from Ashwasa Bhavan, Fort Kochi. Their sister brought them to class. At four years old, the children were full of excitement and curiosity about the space and their teacher. It took patience and energy to help them settle, as they were eager to talk and explore. We introduced namaskaram as their first dance practice. With stories and encouragement, the children joined in. Since their attention spans are still developing, we kept the session varied: learning one step at a time, talking together, and exploring hand gestures that represented a bird, a flower and a river. In the final minutes, the children used paints and paper to draw.
Dance Together Day: Celebrating a New Milestone
Today, students from across our batches came together for Dance Together Day. Students of different ages and levels met, danced and celebrated as one community. Students aged 40 and above danced alongside children as young as three years old, making it special to see generations sharing the same dance space. All four teachers were present, and many students came dressed for the occasion. Some students were unable to attend, but those who came brought plenty of joy and energy to the day. We also celebrated a special milestone for students who were ready to progress to the next level: wearing the chilanka (dance bells) for the first time. Teachers tied the bells for the students, and they danced wearing them. This step reflects the students’ growing confidence and their ability to maintain the talam (rhythm) without losing the beat. The day felt like a joyful meetup as students from different batches and age groups shared the dance space. Events like this encourage students to keep learning, give them a chance to connect with one another, and create a happy place to come together through dance
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Growing Independence Through Adavu Practice
Today was the second class for our students with hearing difficulties. Three new children joined the student who attended the first class. The first student’s mother had watched the class, shared information about it with other families and brought the new students along. During practice, the children tended to look at the teacher and follow the Adavus by watching. We wanted to help them perform the movements independently, without relying on imitation. The teacher worked with each child individually and guided them through repeated practice while looking straight ahead. Although this was challenging at first, the children kept trying. The teacher then moved behind the students and asked them to perform the third Nattadavu in three speeds.before that we did Hand clapping helped them feel and remember the rhythm. By the end of the practice, all the children were performing the Adavu while looking straight ahead.
A New Dance Batch for Women 30+
As interest in our regular batch grew and new admissions continued, we started a new batch so we could welcome more students. The batch brings together women aged 30 and above, each arriving with enthusiasm and a strong commitment to learning dance. Teaching them has been a rewarding experience for the faculty, who value the interest and hard work the students bring to every class. For many of these women, the class is more than a place to learn dance. It is also a joyful space to explore a long-held dream. The enthusiasm across the batch reflects how meaningful it can be to begin or return to dance at any age.
Experiencing Rhythm Beyond Sound
We began a new batch for Deaf and hard-of-hearing children. This initiative has been in preparation for the past few months, shaped by our years of experience as dancers and teachers in the field of Indian dance. We believe that Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam can offer meaningful opportunities for those children to explore rhythm, movement, coordination and expression when taught through accessible methods. Two teachers facilitated the session. While one of us demonstrated the steps, the other gently guided the child's hand to clap along with the rhythm. We were delighted to see how well she understood the rhythm, recognised the gaps between beats, and responded to changes in speed. Gradually, she began copying the movements and soon started performing the steps independently. By the end of the session, she had learnt five Nattadavu sequences, the basic movement units of Bharatanatyam. Throughout the session, we focused on visual demonstrations, clear movement cues, repetition, patience, individual attention and encouragement, allowing the child to learn at her own pace. This was our first session with the children. One child attended the class, and three more children have registered for the upcoming sessions. This beginning has strengthened our belief that, with appropriate teaching methods and support, classical dance can become an accessible and enriching space for Deaf and hard-of-hearing children to explore movement, rhythm and self-expression.
Opening Doors: Our First School Outreach Together
Our recent team meetings highlighted a shared challenge: reaching children and young people who could benefit from the programmes at aikyam. We agreed to combine our networks and prepare a shared introduction to the offerings. Putting this into action, we prepared a shared brochure introducing the programmes available at aikyam. Each team contributed programme descriptions, which were brought together in a brochure for the visits. We then made our first school visits together as the aikyam, Olimalar and Thudippu team, visiting two schools suggested by Shabana, drawing on her knowledge of the local community. We spoke with headteacher about opportunities for children to participate. One school already knew Olimalar through LifSkool. At the other, youth festival preparations opened a conversation about possible dance support from Thudippu. We collected their contact numbers and shared printed and digital copies of the brochure. When we returned to aikyam, we discussed the visits and how we could reach more children. Alongside welcoming families to aikyam, we explored finding spaces in schools and communities and training facilitators to run activities closer to where children live.
From Play to Learning: Creating Space for Children to Grow
The children arrived for Sunday’s dance class in a playful mood, so we began by giving them some time to play before moving into the structured session. They participated enthusiastically in the muscle-strengthening exercises before we started practicing Adavus. The children remained engaged throughout the practice and made consistent efforts to understand and perform the movements. Learning Adavus requires repeated practice, coordination, concentration, and patience. As children gradually become familiar with the movements, they learn to coordinate different parts of their bodies and develop greater awareness of their own movements.