BEIJING, Aug 23: Chinese twin sisters Jin Yanshu and Jin Yanai captivated an audience in Beijing with their Arangetram, a traditional Bharatanatyam debut that marks a major milestone in the training of an Indian classical dancer.
The sisters performed the elaborate recital on Friday at a ceremony attended by Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami and his wife, Sangeetha Doraiswami. Their performance showcased years of dedication to the demanding dance tradition and highlighted the growing interest in Indian classical arts among young Chinese learners.
Doraiswami praised the sisters for embracing Bharatanatyam with enthusiasm and commitment.
“What is truly commendable is that we see two young Chinese dancers throwing themselves into classical Indian dance with full enthusiasm,” he said.
Arangetram marks a dancer’s milestone
Arangetram, which broadly translates to “ascending the stage”, is considered an important achievement in the journey of a Bharatanatyam practitioner. The formal debut gives a trained dancer an opportunity to present the skills developed through years of rigorous practice.
Doraiswami said Bharatanatyam’s long history demonstrated how art can cross national boundaries and create connections between people from different cultures.
He noted that Chinese students studying the dance form gain exposure not only to its intricate movements and rhythms but also to Indian music and cultural traditions.
According to the ambassador, such engagement represents a meaningful form of cultural and people-to-people exchange between India and China.
Twins began training at an early age
The 16-year-old sisters began learning Bharatanatyam when they were just three years old. They trained under Chinese dancer and teacher Jin Shan Shan, who operates the Sangeetham Indian Arts School in Beijing.
Shan herself studied Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra, the renowned institution for Indian classical arts in Chennai, before establishing her dance school in Beijing in 2006.
The institution has since introduced hundreds of children from different parts of China to Bharatanatyam and related Indian artistic traditions.
The twins are the fourth set of dancers associated with the school to complete an Arangetram in recent years, reflecting the sustained interest in the dance form among Chinese students.
Dance builds cultural connections
The Jin sisters have already participated in several public performances. Their earlier appearances included a performance before Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tianjin in 2015 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-related engagements.
They also took part in a production of the Ramayana staged in Beijing last year.
Their latest recital demonstrates how Indian classical dance continues to find an audience beyond India’s borders. Through years of training and performance, the sisters have become part of a growing community of Chinese practitioners engaging deeply with India’s artistic heritage.
The Beijing Arangetram also offered a cultural platform where traditional Indian performing arts could contribute to greater people-to-people understanding between the two countries.