Samyuktha Hegde to Faria: South celebs whose Insta dance videos will stun you

Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen a number of dance trends that have gone viral on social media, on TikTok and Instagram in particular. While many users pursue their newfound passion through these dance challenges, celebs too have taken to social media to experiment with various dance styles. From candid performances to thematic pieces, a number of dance performances have been posted by south Indian celebrities in recent times. 

Here’s a list of celebrities whose dance videos have gained popularity on social media:  

Rukmini Vijayakumar: Rukmini Vijayakumar, who has appeared in movies such as Kochadaiyaan and Kaatru Veliyidai, is a Bharatanatyam dancer and director of the Raadha Kalpa Dance Company. Infusing contemporary elements into her choreography, Rukmini’s performances are refreshingly creative. In her performance about the god of sun, we see her clad in a fierce red saree, dancing against the backdrop of a blazing, golden sun. The song ‘Laal Ishq’ echoes in the background, as she twirls and performs. Explaining the idea behind the piece in the caption, she writes how everything is a manifestation of the supreme consciousness. She sways nonchalantly, moving across the room, in her contemporary performance to the melancholic number ‘Yenga Pona Raasa’. Perched on the edge of a moving boat, we see her in a yellow saree, dancing to the instrumental cover of ‘Memories’ in one of her reels. Her performances often present a confluence of various styles. 

Samyuktha Hegde: You see her flying, swirling and moving around the space as she dances to ‘Masakali’ in one reel. And then in the next, she twirls around the pole with her legs arched, leaving fans mesmerised while dancing to the music of ‘Cold Mess’. Donning a festive skirt, she looks poised, shaking a leg to folk tunes. Comali fame Samyuktha Hegde is popular for her varied dance performances. Her social media following has only grown, especially after her Hula Hoop dance performances went viral.  

Shriya Saran: Dressed in a flowing blue angrakha, Shriya gracefully turns around. Her hands elegantly replicate the motion of a river curving its way through the forest and a bird flapping its wings. With her emotive expressions and intricate footwork, she recreates the moods of autumn. Titled ‘Nature’, Shriya Saran’s Kathak performance on IGTV is all you need to wash your lockdown blues away. The actor, who will be seen in SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus RRR, is a trained kathak performer. She has posted other performances and excerpts from her dance rehearsals on social media.  

Neeraj Madhav: Actor Neeraj Madhav, who rose to national fame with his performance in Amazon Prime Video’s hit web series The Family Man, is a trained dancer as well as a rapper. Neeraj has posted several dance videos, ranging from freestyle performances to dance challenges. Videos of Neeraj dancing to his own rap, are a delight to watch. Neeraj’s peppy dance numbers are hard to pass up, especially due to his trendy look and impeccable footwork. 

Faria Abdullah: Actor Faria Abdullah is best-known for essaying the role of Shamili in hit Telugu comedy-drama Jathi Ratnalu. But did you know she was also a professional dancer? Be it hip- hop or freestyle, Faria does it all. In her recent Instagram reel, Faria was seen emoting gracefully to Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal’s song ‘Tere Naina’. Her performance to romantic number ‘Zara Zara’ and the peppy track ‘Iskaba’, are delightful. Clad in a veshti, Faria’s chic and fun dance to ‘Romad the Nomad-Macha' as well as her bit in Dancee+  are among her best performances. 

Ritika Singh: Irudhi Suttru actor Ritika Singh is not only popular for her workout videos on social media, but has also gained popularity through her stylish dance reels. Donning a casual all-black attire, Ritika chucks a chewing gum while effortlessly shaking a leg. If you are looking for impromptu dance performances, Ritika’s Insta reel titled ‘Vanity Madness’ is likely to put a smile on your face. 

Saniya Iyappan: Mollywood actor Saniya Iyappan, who is loved for her performance as Chinnu in Queen, has experimented with various dance styles on Instagram. From the light-footed contemporary performances to Abhinaya intensive classical pieces, Saniya has left followers smitten with her dance videos on Instagram. Some of her best dance videos on social media include her Kuthu dance to ‘Vaathi Coming’, ‘The Sway’ and ‘Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai’, to name a few. 

With dance challenges going viral, many popular celebrities such as Samantha Akkineni, Amala Paul, Nazriya Nazim, Tamannaah Bhatia and Keerthy Suresh, among others have turned their game face on, to be a part of the trend. Meanwhile, veteran dancers such as Shobana and Vineeth, as well as young dancers like Anu Sithara and Utthara Unni often post videos of their mesmerising classical performances on Instagram.