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

Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher Jin Shanshum Eesha with her student, 13-year-old Lei Mu Zi, who presented her arangetram at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, in Mylapore.
| Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran

This dance recital was special as it transcended cultural and geographical boundaries. Chinese Bharatanatyam dancer Jin Shanshum Eesha’s passion for the art made her travel to India to train under Leela Samson in Delhi. She learnt the art for more than three decades and established ‘Sangeetham Indian Art’ in 2005 in Beijing. Since then she has been teaching Bharatanatyam to children in China.

Speaking about her love for the art form Jin Shanshum says, “When I started the school, I faced some difficulties as many thought it was Bollywood style of dancing. Though I incorporated folk dances to create interest, I could not move away from Bharatanatyam. Over a period of time, people realised its beauty and came back to learn this art. Today, I have nearly hundred students.

The Chennai performance

13-year-old Bharatanatyam dancer Lei Mu Zi, who performed her arangetram recently at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore.
| Photo Credit:
AKHILA EASWARAN

Jin Shanshum presented her student, 13-year-old Lei Mu Zi’s arangetram, recently at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, in Chennai. Her grace, perfection of adavus and footwork garnered appreciation from many of the senior dancers present. While describing his attributes, the young girl was able to convey them with conviction.

“Since all the imageries are alien to them, I translate them into Chinese, to make them understand the emotions. Additionally I show them Amar Chitra Katha comics and other children’s books, for them to understand know Indian culture better. My guru Leela Samson visits us periodically to teach new compositions and refine what they have learnt”, says Jin Shanshum Eesha.

Adds Leela Samson, “Eesha’s commitment to dance was such, that, besides frequently travelling to Delhi to learn the art, she would also travel with me to South India to gain further insights”.

When asked how she took to learning Bharatanatyam, young Lei Mu Zi says, “I enjoy this dance so much that I work hard to achieve perfection. It has become a part of my daily routine. I also do some research online to understand the songs better”. This enthusiasm is backed by her parents and grandparents, who travelled all the way from Beijing to Chennai to watch her perform.