Hansrajh Lukhan: a 60-year odyssey in traditional Indian dance

AT 76 years old, Hansrajh Lukhan, also known as "Butterfly" and "Blondie", is not ready to hang up his dancing shoes.

- MONISHKA GOVENDER

ABOVE: Hansrajh Lukhan performing in the 1970s. TOP RIGHT: He still a Nagara dancer. RIGHT: Luckhan without make-up and traditional wear. | Supplied

A well-known name in South Africa's traditional dance circles, Lukhan's six-decade journey from village stages to national acclaim is a story of passion, perseverance and cultural pride.

"I feel young, energetic and excited. Every time I am on stage feels like the first time," said Lukhan, an active member of the renowned Flash Entertainers, a Chutney and Nagara group.

"The love that I get from near and far is overwhelming."

Lukhan, of Phoenix, started dancing in the late 1960s.

His entry into the world of traditional music and performance was inspired by Hindi films and family functions, where, as a child, his cousins dressed him up to dance.

Lukhan's love for the art form was sealed at a Diwali show in Northdene, Queensburgh, where he participated in a Ramayan sketch.

"That show lit the spark in me. My cousins and I acted and danced, and that performance made me want to join the Riverside Sanathan Dancing Company."

He began his formal journey with the dancing company at the age of 18. After its closure in 1983, he co-founded Ronnie Bhai and Party with the late Mothilal Dwarka, known as Ronnie Bhai.

"Ronnie Bhai saw something in me and said I could be a dancer and could go far. He taught me to sing, to be confident, and to own the stage."