This Paris-based duo’s fusion of hip-hop and Bharatanatyam has taken social media by storm

Take a look here:

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A post shared by Usha Jey (@usha_jey)

“I call this #HybridBharatham and this is my way of mixing 2 styles that I love. Hip-Hop will always be my first love, but I have a big affection for Bharatanatyam. I’m not an expert of Bharatanatyam yet, but I will be,” Usha Jey wrote on Instagram while sharing the video.

“I really embrace my Tamil culture and I believe it is my strength,” said Jey, who choreographed the dance routine.

Jey, who is part of an international dance collective named Ghettostyle, told indianexpress.com that she started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 20. By that time, she already had around eight to nine years of dancing hip-hop.

Take a look at how people reacted to the video here:

Jey said that it was a challenge given she started learning the Indian dance form much later.

“I started learning Bharatham when I was 19-20 years old. It’s a dance that people start really young, which was already a challenge” said Jey.

However, the 23-year old said that keeping the essence of both the dance forms is her key focus.

“I have a lot of things to improve, and that’s what excites me too,” she said.