Mari Selvaraj’s Vaazhai sheds light on the oppression and hardships faced by the banana plantation workers in Tamil Nadu. Apart from the debutants, the film is also garnering appreciation for the side roles played by the other actors. One of the characters is of actress Nikhila Vimal, who played the role of a dance teacher in the film. Her character was shown imparting education with her impressive dancing skills in the film. Similarly, a government school teacher in Vellayapuram village in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu teaches the students while singing and dancing. Velsamy, a government school teacher has been teaching Tamil lessons by singing and dancing. He has been teaching for the last 10 years. He teaches Tamil by beating a drum in his hand, while performing Karagam. It is a popular folk dance in Tamil Nadu. He balances a pitcher filled with water and uncooked rice on head. The pitcher is decorated with a flower-bedecked conical bamboo frame.
Teacher Velsamy says that folk arts is the tool that he has adopted to stimulate the interest of education in his students. “If you want to learn anything easily, you have to read it with passion. Let’s say movie songs for example. We are interested in reading the movie song because it has the music that everyone likes,” said Velasamy while talking to Local18.
The teacher, who says that he is doing this to stimulate similar interest, makes the students sing songs after teaching them. The teacher says that the students are learning Tamil easily through this and his interest in folk arts helped him in achieving this dream. He believes that folk arts can develop along with the importance of education in this village through this method.
Karagam folk dance is performed to deter the goddess Mari Amman from unleashing an epidemic. It is believed to have originated in Thanjavur.
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