She’s all of 13 and grew up in Beijing, but Lei Muzi can pull off Bharatanatyam moves with ease and grace in equal measure. Earlier this week, the young Chinese dancer made heads turn and got feet tapping when she made her stage debut- an event known as an Arangetram within Bharatanatyam circles- in Chennai’s culture capital, Mylapore.

Wearing red kanjeevaram silk, Lei almost perfects the Alarippu (the first dance piece in a Bharatanatyam performance), winning a warm round of applause from a smattering of members in the audience. Keeping a close eye on her off-stage, is her guru, Jin Shan Shan, who spent ten years teaching Bharatanatyam to Lei.

“I first met Eesha teacher when she began teaching Bharatanatyam at our apartment,” Lei tells us after her performance, referring to Shan Shan who is fondly called Eesha in India, a name given to her by her guru, Bharatanatyam legend, Leela Samson. “It then became a habit,” Lei adds, recounting her first steps in taking to the artform, “I would go and watch every class of hers, and when I became a little older, I joined her class with some of my other classmates.”

Affectionately called ‘Dudu’ by the Bharatanatyam circuit in Chennai, Lei is the first Bharatanatyam dancer to stage an Arangetram after studying the art entirely in China. Notably, while Shan Shan is probably Beijing’s most well-known Bharatanatyam artiste, she spent a considerable period learning the art from Samson, in Chennai from 2011 onwards.

It’s little wonder then that Shan Shan’s student, Lei, almost strikes the perfect Varnam pose. And although the 13-year-old may have studied the art in China, her poise makes it seem like she’s home – from perfecting her moves to the tunes of the Tanjore quartet, to emoting as the musical stories play out, she does it all. Admittedly, expressing emotion did not come easily. “Because I haven’t experienced some of the stories that are told, I have to understand the feeling (behind them), and ask the people around me how they would feel if they were in this situation,” she explains.

Lei’s recent trip to Chennai for her Arangetram at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mylapore also saw her parents and grandparents accompany her and Shan Shan, as the entire family got a generous taste of Indian culture. They say Bharatanatyam has the power to build bridges and foster friendship between India and China. “We don’t need language to translate because when you dance or when you sing, you can feel the emotion,” says Shan Shan, speaking to us with Lei at her side, “You can understand each other.”

Interestingly, Lei does know what career she wants to pursue, but she hopes dance will be part of her decision. “I just want to become a better dancer,” she says with a smile. For the moment, the young Bharatanatyam dancer is content taking in the sights and sounds of Chennai as she moves from one set to the next.