Meet Jin Shanshum Isha, who has been teaching Bharatanatyam to children in Beijing for the past three decades

Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher Jin Shansum Isha with her student, 13-year-old Lei Mu Zi, who performed her arangetram at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mylapore. | Photo credit: Akhila Easwaran

This dance performance was special because it crossed cultural and geographical boundaries. Chinese Bharatanatyam dancer Jin Shansum Isha’s passion for the art made her come to India to train under Leela Samson in Delhi. She learned the art for more than three decades and founded ‘Sangitham Indian Art’ in Beijing in 2005. Since then she has been teaching Bharatanatyam to children in China.

Talking about her love for the art, Jin Shanshum says, “When I started the school, I faced some difficulties as many people thought it was a Bollywood style dance. Although I incorporated folk dances to generate interest, I could not move away from Bharatanatyam. With time, people realised its beauty and came back to learn the art. Today, I have around a hundred students.

chennai performance

Lei Mu Zi, a 13-year-old Bharatanatyam dancer, who recently performed her Arangetram at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore. | Photo courtesy: Akhila Easwaran

Jin Shanshum recently presented an Arangetram by her student, 13-year-old Lei Mu Zi, at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chennai. Her beauty, perfection of moves and footwork won praise from many senior dancers present. Describing her characteristics, the young girl was able to express them with vigour.

“Since all the images are foreign to them, I translate them into Chinese so they can understand the emotions. Also I show them Amar Chitra Katha comics and other children’s books so they can understand Indian culture better. My guru Leela Samson comes from time to time to teach us new compositions and refine what she has learnt”, says Jin Shanshum Isha.

Leela Samson says, “Isha’s commitment to dance was such that she would frequently visit Delhi to learn the art, and would also accompany me to South India to gain further knowledge.”

When asked how she started learning Bharatanatyam, young Lei Mu Zi said, “I love this dance so much that I work hard to master it. It has become part of my daily routine. I also do some research online to understand the songs better.” This enthusiasm is supported by her parents and grandparents, who travel from Beijing to Chennai to watch her perform.