Japanese Girl, 11, Makes Pro Debut in Classical Indian Dance

September 4, 2018

New Delhi- A Japanese girl has made her debut as a professional performer in a style of classical Indian dance at just 11 years old.

Kaname Tomiyasu, who moved to the South Asian nation for her father's work, celebrated her professional debut in Bharatanatyam, one of four major classical Indian dance styles, at a performance held in New Delhi on Sunday.

Saroja Vaidyanathan, Tomiyasu's teacher and an authority on Bharatanatyam, highly evaluated the elementary school fifth-grader's enthusiasm and efforts.

Vaidyanathan allowed a 14-year-old or younger person to turn professional for the first time since she opened her Bharatanatyam school 44 years ago.

In 2011, Tomiyasu, then four years old, took up the dance on the recommendation of her mother. At the time, the mother was concerned about her daughter's life in India as she had little opportunity to exercise outside.

Later, Tomiyasu became eager to dance onstage wearing a costume and applying makeup. At the age of eight, she started to attend the school run by Vaidyanathan, who was awarded a cultural medal from the Indian government.

Bharatanatyam, which originated in southern India, includes performers stamping on the ground to ring bells attached around their ankles. It requires dancers to have strong lower body and core strength.

Vaidyanathan, 81, said that she usually does not permit her students to make a professional debut unless they have at least seven years of practice after entering her school at the age of eight.

However, Vaidyanathan allowed Tomiyasu to make the rare early debut as she is "intelligent" and "brilliant," and has a strong interest in dancing.

In Sunday's performance, Tomiyasu showcased her range, including one dance in which she portrayed a girl who fell in love with Krishna, a major deity in Hinduism.

"My anxiety turned into delight as soon as the stage lights hit me," Tomiyasu said after the event. "In the future, I would like to be able to teach others the joys of dancing," she added. Jiji Press