The first time I heard of Tandav was from my friend, Vishnu, the founder of Smileys and the person behind Tandav for the last ten years. I silently followed the updates of Tandav and secretly admired his dedication to build an inclusive dance festival. Tandav is a platform for specially abled kids and kids from orphanages to showcase their talent.

This year, when I went to Mitra Run, I struck a conversation with Vishnu and asked him when Tandav is happening and he mentioned that it scheduled for the next weekend. That’s it. That’s how I signed up to volunteer for Tandav.

The day began with welcoming the kids in a unique Tandav style. Volunteers will stand on the opposite side of the entrance giving the kids a very unique,enthusiastic dance style welcome. It is to make the kids feel they are the center of the show and pump their energy.

After that, I helped out at the registration desk, helping kids make lines and also checking with the teachers the name of their NGO. Then I was assigned to Diya Foundation, to escort them across the various sections of the venue. They are specially challenged adults. After spending time with them through that day, I saw great camadarie among them. There are a few kids who are protective (of their friends) and encourage them when they lag behind. We had great fun playing different games, like walking on a path blindfolded (with instructions), dance workshop, throwing balls in a bucket. In the afternoon, a couple of kids from Diya wanted to do solo performance. I was pleasantly surprised to see the kids taking up initiatives by themselves.

The first kid did a dance for Appadi Podu, and suddenly everyone in the audience stood and danced. It was eclectic to see. Then another kid, went and changed his dress and brought props to do a dance. The dedication of the kids was commendable.

After that, the event organizers organised Chenda Melam performance (a traditional percussion ensemble and art form from Kerala, India that features the chenda drum, a large instrument that produces thunderous beat) and everyone (all volunteers and kids, totalling more than 800) circled around the drummers and started dancing. It was a sight to behold.

We signed off the day after dropping the kids to their respective buses. Overall, it was an eye-opening event for me, seeing kids from various background getting a stage to showcase their talents. Kudos to all the volunteers who made this event memorable for the kids.