By Our Correspondent
Vismaya is a dancer with a difference: she has only one leg but dances skilfully.
Vismaya, the one-legged dancer from Kerala, has been wowing audiences at various functions in Doha with her performances for the last few days.
Vismaya had her right leg amputated from knee because it was much shorter than her left when she was a child. But that did not stop her from choosing dancing as her vocation. She began to practice with just one leg.
But it was difficult to find a teacher who was prepared to train her. It was by accident then she met a dance teacher, PP Mija, who was impressed with her passion. Vismaya was just nine then. Mija began to instruct her in classical Indian dances. “The meeting with teacher Mija was a turning point in my life,” she told Community yesterday. “Without her I would have had to abandon my dream,” she said.
She came to Doha last week to present dances at a function organised by the Kannur Association, a forum of Kerala expatriates from the Kannur region. While in Doha she also presented dance programmes at a gathering, hosted by the Kasasrgod Association. Tomorrow (Friday) evening, she will be giving a dance performance at the ICC auditorium for a forum called the Samannayua. The programme begins at 5pm.
Vismaya, 16, has already won several awards and accolades for her stunning performances. She has been featured in a number of television shows in Kerala, winning wide acclaim.
Vismaya’s father, Vinod, is a painting worker. “Financially, Vismaya’s family is not well-off and they cannot even afford a good quality prosthetic leg,” said a spokesman of the organisation that brought her to Qatar. “But despite all the odds, her commitment to dance is just astounding. Vismaya in Mayalyalam means surprise. She really surprises and astounds people with her performances.”
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY: Vismaya.
