Zainil Mehta | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Over the past few weeks, a video of a young boy in a vibrant skirt grooving to ‘Jhoome Re Gori’ on the streets of New York went viral on Instagram. The artist, Zainil Mehta, is a choreographer from New York, but her roots are firmly rooted in India.
The 23-year-old is now in limelight for her #MenInSkirts movement, which defies gender norms through dance sequences in flowy skirts.
Zainil Mehta | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Zainil recounts how as a child he was fascinated by his mother’s colorful skirts. “Lightweight skirts with a big flare and vibrant hues, adding drama when you move around,” says the dancer, who has collaborated with budding Indian designers like Roopa Thakkar and Archana Kochro for the beautifully tailored skirts seen in her videos. Is.”
The professionally trained Garba dancer, who also works in hip hop, ballet, contemporary and Bollywood, says she is also the curator of J-Flow, a dance style she created based on her conceptual experiences. His post has been viewed millions of times, he says that the process of making a video begins with the creation of a vision, followed by location, costume and movement information.
He says that his life as a dancer was not always as enjoyable as it is now. “There were days when my passions and choices were questioned to their greatest extent”. Going forward, Janil plans to launch a college-level dance program focused on gender neutrality and host workshops across countries.
He concluded, “I felt my best in a skirt, even though the choice of wearing a skirt was unpopular, and with this movement, I hope to encourage other men to believe that their hearts are labs for societal norms.” What does it say instead of being a rat.”