Dance to liberate, connect

Sravan Telu
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Hyderabad Queer Dance Fest, the first such dance event in Hyderabad is giving shape to a long-felt need of the queer community for a platform to express themselves freely. Organised by Patruni Sastry aka Dragvanti, and Queer Nilayam, the fest is supported by Queer Connect, Dark Vibe Society, and Raqsology. Patruni says the fest is a step to mark the presence of the LGBTQ+ community in the field of dance.

Patruni avers, “On World Dance Day, it is essential to provide a platform for the LGBTQ+ community to express themselves through dance, an art form that the community has always found solace and freedom in. Having used dance as a means to express myself as a queer person, I have been able to create a different personal identity for myself in ways that were not so easy with words. The artists performing at the festival are from the queer spectrum, making it an inclusive event that celebrates diversity and talent.

Patruni assures that the event is a safe and supportive space that aims to encourage and showcase the talents of dancers from the community. “This festival promises to be a treat with a range of dance forms such as contemporary, classical, hip-hop, Bollywood, Mahari and drag. Some of the artists who will perform, besides a drag performance by me, are Sravan Telu (Hyderabad’s first male belly dancer ), Prem Leela (trans folk artist), Apoorva (the city’s first queer Bachata dancer ), Khemaya (trans artiste performing Mahari), and Gautam Bandodkar (Kathak and Lavani.)”

Sravan Telu will belly dance to a poem called ‘Keep Dancing’ by Relyks. An analyst at an MNC in Hyderabad, Sravan, a professional belly dancer, is against the random sexualising of belly dance. He says, “Dance is my life, it keeps me happy and liberated. I treat belly dance as a classical dance form; I also teach the same to my students.”

Patruni adds, “It is crucial to celebrate diverse expressions of queer identity, and dance is a powerful tool that allows us to do just that. We hope that this festival will inspire and empower more queer artistes to come forward and showcase their talent. Dr Gautam Bandodkar from Goa who will perform Kathak and Lavani says dance is liberating for him. Since dance is gender non-conforming, one can express themselves in any way they feel; it lets me explore various emotions and thoughts.”   

Hyderabad Queer Dance Fest is on  at Nirvana Studio, Kondapur on April 29, Saturday, 5pm onwards.