26 April,2026 08:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika Gondhalekar
On the occasion of World Dance Day that falls on on April 29, mid-day speaks to Rocharam High School of Chembur where dance is taught to hearing impaired students. Recently, the students at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival
Most dancers wait for the taal to begin and it serves them the purpose of making an entry. But that's not what happens in the open hall of Rochiram Thadani High School for Hearing Handicapped in Chembur. In the vibrant hall, silence replaces sound, yet students move with striking precision, rhythm travels silently under their feet and bodies leap - just by fixing their eyes on their dance teacher's gestures, signs and each other's cues.
This World Dance Day, celebrated every year on April 29, mid-day brings to you the story of deaf students of Rochiram Thadani High School for Hearing Handicapped where they are redefining the connection between music and dance, As they feel, dance is not something that is solely dependent on the hearing capacity, rather something that you feel in every heartbeat."
Nivedita Damle, dance teacher
"I have been teaching dance at the school for the last 28 years. Instead of relying on traditional auditory cues, these children use visual signals, sign language, and floor vibrations to learn the choreographies. Large speakers placed on the ground allow them to sense beats through their feetof the beats using my hands helps them stay in sync with one another and the song. Also, whenever I start teaching them choreography, I make them read and understand the lyrics so that it becomes easier for them to grasp the steps. Even during the recent Kala Ghoda Arts Festival where our students had two performances, I stood in front of them only as a back-up. After giving the first cue, I barely had to give counts throughout the rest of the choreography."
Reshma Deepak Kadam, mother of Darshita
"When my daughter first told me that she wanted to learn dance, I was delighted. It was because, even if she couldn't hear by birth, right from the time she started walking, whenever she saw someone dancing on the TV or whenever there was loud music being played close to her, she would start grooving. Initially, we never understood how she could understand that music is playing. But later, when she actually started learning dance at school, the teachers explained that it's the magic of vibrations. Today, as I see her perform at multiple events that school arranges, I feel very proud of her."
Krishna Vinod Sutar, mother of Sukruti
"You will not be able to understand that my daughter cannot hear. In fact, all students here grasp the steps so sharply that it is impossible for anyone to know that they are deaf."
Supriya More, child psychologist and dance therapist
"While most people assume hearing is a prerequisite for dance, the hearing-impaired brain experiences rhythm through tactile vibrations and visual cues. As a psychologist and dance therapist, I see dance as a form of "emotional literacy" for those with hearing impairment. It provides a vital outlet for processing complex feelings that words sometimes cannot reach. By mastering movement, they aren't just learning to dance, but also to build the self-esteem and emotional resilience necessary to navigate the world with confidence. In my work with hearing-impaired students, I've observed that dance is a powerful psychological tool as it allows our students to translate vibrations into emotional expression. For a child with hearing impairment, movement becomes a language of self-discovery. It is a misconception that you need to hear music to feel it; our students use rhythm to build motor skills and psychological resilience. The joy and confidence they display on stage is a testament to the fact that their potential is never limited by their silence."
Priya Sumedh Samarth, Kathak dancer and founder of Sattvik Kala Academy
"I have a student who has difficulty in hearing. However, she has a strong grasping power which helps her not just to learn dance quickly but also to understand rhythm through vibrations.
The only challenge that I face while teaching her is the fact that sometimes, I tend to forget that she can lip read. So, when she stands with other girls in the class, I have to make a conscious effort to look in the direction where she is standing so that she understands better. But never have I felt that she is unable to dance in a group, or that it is disturbing to teach her with other girls."
