In a silent yet powerful appeal for marine conservation, two young underwater adventurers, T.A. Thaaragai Aarathana (11) and her brother S.D. Aswin Bala (14), recently performed a mesmerizing fusion of classical and folk dance 20 feet deep in the Bay of Bengal, near Rameswaram.
The duo executed a modified form of Bharatanatyam and a high-energy folk dance, which they have termed “Sand a Gift” Tananatyam, making their movements a graceful protest against the rising plastic pollution choking the oceans.
The performance, which took place to mark International Dance Day, saw the siblings, who are also trained divers, descend into the blue depths. Despite the stunning setting—gliding over vibrant coral reefs with an audience of curious marine life—the young performers returned with a sobering message.
“We came across a lot of coastal nets tangled in the corals, and plastics damaging the marine life,” said Thaaragai Aarathana. “Our dance was a silent request to people to stop dumping plastics that find their way into the ocean.”
While the act was a unique blend of art, adventure, and activism, the event’s modest recognition highlights a common challenge for young activists and artists:
- Understated Recognition: Despite the immense skill and effort required to perform a controlled, elaborate dance form like Bharatanatyam in a high-pressure, oxygen-dependent environment, the extraordinary feat by the young brother and sister has largely been confined to local reports.
- The Unacknowledged Effort: The performance required rigorous training in both dance and deep-sea diving, demonstrating exceptional dedication from the children. The lack of wider attention and formal congratulation underscores the quiet sacrifices made by many grassroots environmental and cultural ambassadors.
The siblings, who hail from Puducherry, are determined to continue using the ocean as their stage to advocate for marine life, proving that sometimes, the most profound messages are delivered without a single word, just the rhythmic flow of a classical dancer and the silent depth of the sea.
