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Indian teacher goes viral for energetic Puliyattam at New Jersey school: 'Priceless effort'
A teacher’s energetic guidance stole the show during a lively Pongal celebration at a New Jersey Tamil school.
A lively Pongal celebration at Thiruvalluvar Tamil School in Edison, New Jersey, recently went viral online, not because of the students, but because of the energetic prompts by their teacher.
Dressed in a bright pink saree, the teacher stood in front of the children, guiding them through the dance steps for Puliyattam (traditional tiger dance) so they could follow along and keep to the beat.
The video was shared on Instagram by Kees Candid with the caption, “Teachers' efforts are priceless.”
Teacher steals the spotlight:
In the video, the students wearing tiger costumers are seen performing with enthusiasm, moving in time with the music. Yet all eyes were on their teacher, whose lively gestures and careful instructions ensured that every child could perform the steps correctly.
The teacher was not performing for show. She was leading the students, making sure they remembered the steps and enjoyed the dance.
The celebration at Thiruvalluvar Tamil School captured the true effort it takes to prepare students for cultural performances.
Behind the lively dance moves of the children are hours of practice, guidance, and encouragement.
HT.com has reached out to the user for more details. This report will be updated when she responds.
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Check out the video here:
Here's how people reacted to the video:
Instagram users were quick to react to the video, with many praising the teacher’s energetic performance. Comments described her as “adorable,” “inspiring,” and “full of life”.
One of the users commented, “It's not an easy task to assemble kids and make them dance. Hats off, teacher.”
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A second user commented, “Huge applause to the teacher and students.. much appreciated.”
“Every dance practice teacher should be like this,” another user commented.
The video was shared on January 13, 2026, and since then, it has gained 2.8 lakh views and more than 3000 likes.
