At 50, there is no stopping Kalbeliya exponent Gulabo Sapera

The Padma Shri recipient said the struggle started in her life right after her birth. At birth, elders of the community buried her alive.

At the age when many think of making retirement plans, 50-year-old Kalbeliya exponent Gulabo Sapera has a dream to pass on the tradition to the younger generation.

“It is my dream that every home has a Gulabo. I want to keep dancing and teach the art to younger generation. I have a plan to start a dance academy in Pushkar and take my students on world tour,” Gulabo said.

She said her academy will not only teach Kalbeliya, but also showcase handicrafts, traditional instruments and much more to keep the folk culture alive. Sharing her experience in the past one year during the coronavirus lockdown, she said it has been a tough time for artistes, making it difficult to find work.

“Many of them could not even buy grocery. We helped them during their tough time. We motivated them that good times will come back again,” she said. The acclaimed dancer is among the guests invited in the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival.

The Padma Shri recipient said the struggle started in her life right after her birth. At birth, elders of the community buried her alive.

Dancing professionally was unheard of in the Sapera (snake charmers) community but at age of two, she would sway along with her father’s serpents on the tunes of the “been” (a music instrument), she said.

She performed at the international level at the age of 14 and since then there is no stopping.

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