Journalism of Courage
Despite being unable to distinguish between the Sur and Taal of music,Shahane is not only a well-trained Bharatnatyam dancer but also conducts dance classes
There are tough times and there are tough people. And then there are those who surpass the extra-ordinary and need no adjectives along with their names to describe their achievements. One such example is Prerna Shahane.
When Prerna was just six months old,she suffered a paralysis attack,which left her immobilised neck downwards. It also resulted in permanent loss of her hearing ability. We were devastated when the doctors told us that Prerna would never be able to walk again in he life, says her mother Ujjwala Shahane. But her parents did not lose hope and continued taking alternative treatment and by the age of three,Prerna could walk. However,she could not speak well as she was hearing impaired. Life is all about hope and having faith in yourself. She successfully defeated all her disabilities, says the proud mother,who is a teacher at Swami Vivekanand Vidyamandir.
Today,this 24-year-old has not only finished her studies but also took training in Bharatnatyam and is all set to present yet another dance performance Rang Majha Vegala. The programme will be held at Balgandharva Rangmandir on February 26,5 pm onwards.
Discovering her deep inclination towards dance,her parents approached Guru Shumita Mahajan,who later trained Prerna. She performed her very first Aarangetram in the year 2007,which was covered by various news channels, says her father,Keshav Shahane,who is also working as a teacher at Swami Vivekanand Vidyamandir.
Till date Prerna has given many live performances on stage as well as on some dance shows on television. She has won various awards that includes Maitra Yuva Gaurav Award,Dynanganga Award,Adarsh Vyaktimatva Puraskar and Sangharsh Samman Award to name a few. Every day she gives dedicated two hours to her riyaaz and also teaches dance to 10 girls,who are normal. Her students face no difficulty in understanding Prerna, says the mother.
Besides dance,Prernas other interests include drawing and painting. Although her speech is not clear but more than using the sign language,Prerna prefers speaking. She is very friendly and can make friends easily, says her mother. In the near future,Prerna wishes to spread the work for the disabled all over.
(The programme Rang Majha Vegala will be held at Balgandharva Rangmandir on February 26,5 pm onwards.)
