Prerana Sahane

🪔 About

Prerana Sahane Dixit, born in 1985 in Maharashtra, India, is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer who has overcome significant challenges to achieve her artistic success. At six months old, a paralytic attack left her hearing-impaired and affected her motor skills, leading doctors to believe she might never walk independently. However, with the unwavering support of her parents, Ujjwala and Keshav Sahane, Prerana began walking by age three. Her passion for dance became evident early on, and at the age of seven, she began her Bharatanatyam training under Guru Shumita Mahajan at Sadhana Nrutyalay in Pune. Learning Bharatanatyam without the ability to hear music or rhythm presented unique challenges. Prerana's guru, Shumita Mahajan, developed innovative teaching methods, including tapping ghungroos on her hand and using hand gestures to convey beats and movements. Prerana relies on her sense of touch, vibrations, and visual cues, including eye contact with her guru and special lighting arrangements during performances. She gave her Arangetram, a significant debut performance, in 2007 at the age of 21. Prerana has since become a full-time Bharatanatyam performer, having presented over 75 shows, including solo performances, at various venues across India, such as temple festivals in Guruvayoor, Mookambika, Udupi, Kolkata, and Mumbai. She is also a teacher, aspiring to establish a dance school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Her mother, Ujjwala Sahane, authored a book titled "Prerana The Sound of Silence," detailing Prerana's inspiring journey, which won an award from the Maharashtra government in 2015. Awards & Honours: Role Model National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (2015), Maharashtra Government Award for the book 'Prerana The Sound of Silence' (2015).