Chinese Twins Master Indian Dance in Beijing

Twin sisters Jin Yanshu and Jin Yanai recently achieved a significant milestone in their Bharatanatyam journey by performing their Arangetram in Beijing on Saturday. This traditional Indian classical dance graduation ceremony drew a large audience and was graced by the presence of Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami and his wife.

Ambassador Doraiswami commended the 16-year-old twins for their deep enthusiasm and commitment to learning Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form with a long history. He emphasized that such artistic pursuits serve as a profound form of cultural and people-to-people exchange, transcending national borders.

The twins have been training in Bharatanatyam since they were three years old under Jin Shan Shan, a renowned Chinese exponent and teacher. Shan, who herself studied at Kalakshetra in Chennai, leads the Sangeetham Indian Arts School in Beijing. Since its establishment in 2006, the school has introduced several hundred children from across China to Indian classical dance.

This Arangetram marks another major achievement for the sisters, who have previously performed for dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tianjin in 2025 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. They also participated in the dance drama 'Ramayana' staged in Beijing last year.