From 'Ye Macha Girl' to dance icon: Jessica Krish's 30-year cultural legacy

FROM a humble school concert performance to becoming a household name in cultural arts, as the "Ye Macha Girl", Shrimati Jessica Krish’s journey is inspiring. 

The Bharata Natyam dancer, choreographer, and founder of The Jessica Krish School of Performing Arts, was in the spotlight recently after the Tamil song, performed by Sharmaine Deol, was played on East Coast Radio during Heritage Month. 

The video of the song, which was shared on social media, featured Krish dancing. 

Going down memory lane, Krish said her first performance was at her primary school concert. 

"I was extremely overwhelmed with the response. Many people came backstage and asked me to dance for other functions such as weddings and birthdays. That was the start of my career as a dancer. My mum later enrolled me with Kumari Ambigay's dance school to study Bharata Natyam."  

Even while undergoing formal training, Krish continued to perform extensively across KwaZulu-Natal, winning numerous dance competitions and earning accolades that recognised her dedication to promoting Indian culture.

“My most memorable award was by the Maskane Foundation for excellence in culture, an award from the Mayor of Durban, and a special award from the community of Merebank, where I lived as a child, for promoting culture.”

Eager to further deepen her roots in traditional dance, Krish traveled to Chennai, India, where she completed her formal qualification in Bharata Natyam at the Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts.

“I returned to South Africa as Shrimati Jessica Krish to open my own school, The Jessica Krish School of Performing Arts, in 1996. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the school, which has taught thousands of students dance and speech and drama in KZN and Gauteng over the years.”

One of the most defining moments of her career came as a teenager when she was asked by fellow Merebank artist, Tansen Nepaul, to choreograph a dance to the song ‘Ye Macha’. It was a lesser-known track that had not gained mainstream popularity.

Despite her initial reluctance, Jessica embraced the challenge, working alongside her mother to translate and interpret the song.

“The song was not from a movie, so the dance choreography was my original choreography. Together with the help of my mum, we translated the words of the song so I could understand it and create movement and facial expressions to make the performance good. 

“Tansen told me that no other dancers performing that night wanted to do that item as it was not popular enough and I should give it a try. I trusted his music and Sharmaine's voice as it was a live performance. We were nervous how the audience would react, as all the other artists performing that evening performed to popular tracks.

“To my amazement, the audience simply loved it. The applause of a stadium full of people loving the song, music and my dance took my breath away.”

Krish thereafter performed Ye Macha with the Tansen Nepaul Showband and Lotus FM, and toured various parts of South Africa with other local artists. 

“I was even stopped by people at malls for my autograph, which I felt strange about but due to the constant television and radio coverage that dance got, it changed so much for me as a performer and choreographer. 

“I have taught many of my students throughout the years and even performed the dance two years ago for a fundraiser event in Merebank as it was a special request by the audience and the organisers of the event. To this day, I still have people requesting the song and the dance."

Today, Krish continues to live on the Bluff with her husband and two children. She remains a passionate educator, teaching dance, and the proud ‘Ye Macha Girl’.

The POST