How Indian traditional and folk artistes are adapting online to survive the pandemic

Now, log on for Kathakali, play the chenda via an app or learn kalbeliya dance on a group call, with help from traditional performing artistes who are innovating to survive a tough year and keep their craft alive

Dhola village near Jodhpur, in Rajasthan, is veiled in darkness as the electricity snaps, interrupting Sua Devi’s Zoom call. Undeterred, the 46-year-old kalbeliya dancer, asks her son to rev up his motorcycle right outside the room. Under the powerful headlights, which bounce off her glittering jewellery, she continues her class, dancing in front of the smartphone positioned in her living room, teaching students from across the world. The artiste who has lived most of her life on stage — Sua has been dancing since the age of seven — now handles a video call with dexterity. She says the pandemic forced her to find ways to adapt: “I was able to learn something new in between this crisis. I have a family of 13. Thanks to online classes, I am able to feed them and also help others in the village.”