“Bharata Natyam Spin”: Indian Woman Shows Off Traditional Dance Moves to Mnike

• A South African woman with an Indian background shared a clip of herself dancing to Tyler ICU's hit song Mnike
• The young woman said she put a Bharata Natyam spin onto the popular amapiano dance track
• Social media users loved the dancer's moves and shared their thoughts in the post's comment section
• A Bharata Natyam dance tutor explained to Briefly News the dance genre's background and how it connects to South African Indian culture

South Africa, known as the Rainbow Nation, is a vibrant blend of diverse cultures and traditions where people from various backgrounds celebrate their unique identities.

A local Indian woman creatively combined traditional dancing with amapiano music, showcasing a beautiful fusion of South Asian and South African rhythms in a fresh way.

Mnike gets a dance remix

A TikTok user named Ishwarya, who uses the handle @lailarai__ on the app, uploaded a video of herself dancing to Mnike by Tyler ICU.

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Instead of incorporating the TikTok dance moves created for the song, the young woman went a different path.

Inspired by another content creator, Ishwarya wrote in her post's caption:

"Not much here, just me putting a Bharata Natyam spin onto one of the most liked songs of my country."

Watch the incredible video below:

What is Bharata Natyam?

While speaking to Briefly News, Shrmathi Dashny Poongavanam, a Bharatha Natyam dance tutor, explained that Bharatha Natyam is a dance form that seeped into Indian culture.

"It is a classical art form that originated in India and was danced for high profile or royalty only. Today, Bharatha Natyam has been taught worldwide and practised by other cultures too."

She added:

"It's a dance form that comprises facial expression, rhythm and timing. There are three types of dances in Bharatha Natyam: Pure dance (steps), storytelling and a mixture of both."

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The Shrmathi also told Briefly News that Bharatha Natyam stories focus on many Hindu deities passed down through generations.

"We don't have enough exposure in South Africa to Bharatha Natyam, and we don't have enough (if any) financial support or recognition from the Arts and Culture department or any other organisations to assist with this. So, we still rely heavily on our own resources or fees of the limited amount of students."

Mzansi impressed by Indian woman's dancing

Several social media users loved the young lady's dance moves and shared their thoughts in the comments section.

@pravz369_m told the online community:

"People don't understand how much stamina you need for this type of dancing. My sister does Bharata Natyam as well."

A proud @www.tiktok.mathangane said:

"South Africa our Rainbow Nation. I love her."

@user13553t1 wrote in the comment section:

"Absolutely brilliant, if I do say so myself. She put two kinds of dancing in one."

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@sthenah93 laughed and said:

"My problem is that when I hear this song, this is how I’m going to dance to it."

@thee_chef_vee said to the dancer:

"Now that's how you do it, not the other videos we see on this app. Please teach them."

@funimbali3 shared with people on the social media platform:

"I see a dance challenge coming. Wait for it."

Man uses fingers to dance to Mnike

In another story, Briefly News reported about a Mzansi man who went viral for his incredible finger-dancing skills.

The man 'danced' to Mnike, which received millions of views on TikTok and many internet users raving about his unique talent.

Source: Briefly News