“Our journey with dance started when we were just kids, dancing around to Megastar Chiranjeevi’s songs, having fun without thinking much about it. But our dad saw something more. He works as an RTC employee with no background in the arts, but he noticed our love for dance and thought, ‘Why not make this a part of their lives?’ So he enrolled us with Guru Afzal Pasha sir, who taught us Andhra Natyam and even introduced us to some Western styles. That’s where it all began.

When Afzal Pasha sir passed away, there was a break in our dance journey, unsure of what would come next. Then we were enrolled under Guru Perini Venkat sir, and he introduced us to Perini Natyam. Perini Natyam goes all the way back to the Kakatiya dynasty when warriors used to perform it before heading into battle. From the moment we started, we knew this was what we wanted to pursue and it’s been 15 years since we are pursuing Perini Natyam which was revived by the Legendary Dance Guru Nataraja Ramakrishna garu.

For a long time, people saw Perini as a dance for men only. But thanks to visionaries like Shri Kala Krishna garu, it has opened up to everyone. Today, both men and women perform Perini, in forms like Perini Thandavam and Perini Lasyam. Since Telangana became a state in 2014, there’s been a special focus on preserving and promoting our cultural heritage, with Dr. Mamidi Harikrishna and the Department of Language and Culture leading these efforts. It’s been inspiring to see more people become aware of Perini and its significance.

We’ve had the chance to perform at various venues across India, but one of the biggest highlights for us was performing in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji in November 2022 at HICC Novotel. Standing on that stage as part of Perini Rajkumar sir’s group felt like a moment we’d been working toward for years-it was unforgettable.

Recently, in 2023, I completed my Master’s in Andhra Natyam at Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, where I was a gold medalist. Sai, my twin, has just started his MA as well. Now, we’re focusing on sharing Perini with others, especially young people.”

– Santosh Kumar Garine and Sai Kumar Garine, Perini Dancers

#Perinidance #Telangana #Culture #Perinidancers #artandculture #HumansofHyderabad