It has been just a year since Jinu Mathew migrated to Australia and in this short span, Mathew has not only opened her small business in Darwin but is a known name working with the Indigenous community in Northern Territory.
Mathew is a psychologist by profession and has been a keen dancer since the age of three.
“While waiting for my registration process to finish in Darwin, I opened my dance studio, Transwings in Darwin because dance is my passion,” Jinu told SBS Hindi.
She has been trained in Bollywood dance, Indian classical dance, Afrojazz, contemporary dance and various other forms of dance which she now teaches in Darwin.
In less than three months after setting up her studio, Jinu was invited to perform at Australia Day celebrations in Darwin.
People took notice of her performance and since then Jinu and her troupe have performed at various cultural events across NT.
“In June this year, NT government invited me to teach Bollywood dance to children in remote indigenous communities under their ARTbackNT program,” Mathew says.
Her Bollywood dance workshop with aboriginal kids went viral on social media with the video being shared over 700 times.
Jinu feels dance and exposure to different culture can bring a positive change to children in Northern Territory.
“The kids were so excited and they had so much fun. My background in psychology helped me understand how art and dance could bring a meaningful change in their lives,” she says.
Mathew has conducted seven workshops in remote indigenous communities across NT.
“I want to reach out to more children in these communities and expand these workshops to more communities in other states,” Mathew says.
Jinu believes Bollywood can bridge the divide between migrant communities and aboriginal communities in Australia.
“They are so curious and eager to learn. I believe dance is the best way to learn about different cultures.”
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