The applause continued throughout the performance. Draped in a light blue, silver-printed Banarasi sari, hair left loose and jewellery minimal, a young Kerala college teacher glides across the stage with surprising ease.  Every beat of A R Rahman’s peppy track ‘Mukkala is matched with lightning-fast steps. Every move immortalised by dance icon Prabhu Deva in 'Kadhalan', the hit Tamil film, is recreated.

The performer in the now-viral video is 31-year-old Arunima J R, Assistant Professor of Bharatanatyam at St Teresa’s College in Ernakulam and a native of Malappuram. Across social media, viewers have praised not just her energy but the grace and comfort with which she executes demanding choreography in a sari — something many called both elegant and inspiring.

“The sari is what surprised people most,” Arunima says. “But once music plays, I can’t sit still. For me, the outfit doesn’t matter — I just respond to the rhythm.” Her ease, she explains, comes from long familiarity. During her Bharatanatyam training, when many classmates practised in salwar suits, she preferred to rehearse in a sari. That habit, she says, shaped her comfort with movement in traditional attire. “It has always been part of my life. Even now, as a teacher, it’s our everyday wear.”

The viral performance took place at the inauguration of the arts festival Pragati 2026 at Ilahia College of Engineering and Technology in Muvattupuzha on February 11, where she had been invited as the chief guest. “The organisers requested that I dance with students,” she recalls. “They asked only a day in advance, so I sent them a choreography of a short portion of the song. A few students learnt it from the video, and we managed two quick rehearsals before going on stage.”

The short performance, along with the students, drew thunderous applause and immediate calls for an encore. Arunima obliged with another lively number — Hindi popular Kala Chashma from 'Baar Baar Dekho' — blending contemporary moves with classical touches. The first clip has since crossed 17 million views on Instagram, while the second has garnered over 3.5 million.

Dance has shaped Arunima’s life from the age of three and a half, when her pre-school teacher, Jayanthi, first noticed her talent. Alongside formal Bharatanatyam training, she was a constant presence at school arts festivals, performing Oppana, Margamkali, folk dance and group choreography.

After school, she joined Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai for a diploma in Bharatanatyam. She later secured a first-rank MA from the University of Madras, cleared the NET examination and moved into teaching. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Vels Institute of Science Technology and Advanced Studies in Chennai and is also a recipient of the Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture.

Though rooted in classical dance, she enjoys exploring other styles informally. “I’ve trained only in classical forms,” she says. “For Western styles, I observe, practise and adapt on my own. But Bharatanatyam is where I know every detail.” She continues her advanced training under noted Bharatanatyam exponent Sreelatha Vinod, attending weekly online sessions and travelling to Chennai whenever possible for in-person learning. “As teachers, we must keep learning. Only then can we offer students richer experiences.”

Her days revolve almost entirely around dance. She runs morning and evening sessions at her Kochi studio, Arpana Dance Company, teaches at college in the afternoon shift and continues personal practice late into the night. “I record my practice again and again — sometimes 80 takes — until it feels right,” she says. “Only then do I share it with my students.”

She credits her family’s quiet support for allowing her that discipline. Though she lives away from them for work, they remain mindful of her schedule. “They never interrupt my practice hours,” she says. “Even at home in Malappuram, they adjust to my late-night rehearsals.”

Her father, businessman Radhakrishnan, passed away in 2019. Her mother, Jollykutty, a retired bank manager, and elder brother, Anand, a software engineer, now live in Malappuram. Recently, the siblings encouraged their 63-year-old mother to take up classical dance classes after she expressed interest.

“We learnt that she had danced as a child but never continued,” Arunima says. “When she wished to learn again, we felt she absolutely should. Passion doesn’t have an age limit.”