Trans-dance of yin & yang

Abheena and the Dancing Queens are bringing drag culture to the Indian mainstream. Sunday Mid Day drops in for an evening rehearsal to see how they use drag to forge personal and collective identities that are neither masculine nor feminine, but rather their own complex genders

The drag queen is nature's perfect entertainer. What more regal source of sass could God have divined than the glam star who emerges when a man dons a dress, dances like an apsara with a heightened feminine persona, and wears make-up with the artistry of a professional?



Different from hijras (eunuchs), who almost always perform at conventional cultural occasions like marriages and birth rituals, drag queens take the stage at more private and alternative social spaces. Like the screening of LGBT films at French cultural hub Alliance Franu00c3u00a7aise de Bombay, where transgender dance troupe Abheena and the Dancing Queens performed their fiery brand of Bollywood dancing last week.u00a0

Spearheaded by the suave and statuesque Abheena Aher, a communications specialist with Johns Hopkins University, this ambitious bunch of gay and transgender dancers is taking drag to the mainstream. And it's about time. Their clan has toiled endlessly in ghettos, hosting shows for a pittance that barely pay for their extravagant costumes and make-up. The bid is to bring drag to the show-front, while also spreading awareness on HIV/AIDS through musical plays. Abheena and her friends are part of a larger trend the world is witnessing.

Internationally, there was a time when drag queens simply imitated iconic women on stage and screen. Today, pop stars such as Lady GaGa are imitating drag queens like a playbook. The influence is visible in everything from her costumes, dance and attitude to stage persona. Michael Jackson's sister Janet reportedly took cues for her high-energy videos from huge drag performances she loved to attend. Meanwhile, pop diva Beyonce Knowles runs across the stage and rolls into a Death Drop, in true drag queen style.u00a0

It's a dance move Urmi Jadhav has been showing off for years. "You throw your body to the ground; but without warning," says doe-eyed Urmi, a lead dancer in Abheena's rotating group of 14. Such dramatic drag dance moves, she asserts, are also used by Bollywood actresses who must employ unexpected physical manoeuvres that resonate all the way to the back of a cavernous venue. A full-time counsellor at Humsafar Trust by day, Urmi transforms into a danseuse on most evenings. A slew of "Best Dancer" trophies lining the shelves of her Vile Parle home are proof that her graceful turns a la all-time idol Madhuri Dixit-Nene, are a hit with dance contest judges. "The winning spree was so fantastic, the trust's CEO told me, hang up your ghungroos; give others a chance to win too!" she says with a visible blush.u00a0

Her colleague Aleesha Khan is another Madhuri fan. "Aishwarya (Rai) is good too, especially in Devdas's Dola Re, in which she matches Madhuri step-for-step," says Aleesha aka Alam, while rehearsing for queer film fest Kashish. It's been a decade since the curvy self-help group co-ordinator came out of the closet. "I'm one of the lucky few to be introduced to my second family at Humsafar when I hit 18 years. So, I became comfortable with my sexual identity early enough," says Aleesha. When she is not in costume for a show, you'll find her sporting jeans and tee.

"I live with my brothers. This is how I dress at home too. Except, this one time a girl's family came over with a marriage proposal for my brother!" she says, as Abheena readies for a Helen number in a one-shoulder hot pink gown. Piya Tu streams on the sound system, and she strikes a confident pose that is more Madonna in the gayconic Vogue video. Abheena looks like desert queen Priscilla in her striking make-up.

Considering how drag queens start off with the raw ingredients of a man, and turn him into a glamorous woman, there is a notion that gay men and drag queens are clued into ways for women to look better. Take Miss J, the tall thin black queen who has taught Paris models to walk for years. R&B singer Gladys Knight has a transsexual make-up artiste. A former drag queen does the make-up for soul singer Patti Labelle. Female impressionist Kevin Aviance was employed by Destiny's Child, who took runway walking lessons from him. Fabulous!u00a0

Abheena and the Dancing Queens will perform at Kashish u00e2u0080u0094 Mumbai International Queer Film Festival scheduled from between April 22 to 25. For registration, schedule and venues, visit
https://mqff2010.blogspot.com/ or email info.kashish2010@gmail.com