More than three decades after Michael Jackson released his groundbreaking “Black or White” music video, renewed attention is shining on one of its most memorable cultural moments, the striking dance sequence inspired by South Asian classical movement.
A resurfaced interview with dancer Yamuna Sangarasivam is giving fans new insight into how the iconic scene came together and why it was never intended to be a strict representation of traditional Indian dance.
In the 1991 video for Black or White, Jackson performs alongside Sangarasivam in a visually rich sequence often remembered by audiences as the “Indian dance” segment. But according to Sangarasivam, the choreography was actually a hybrid performance that blended elements inspired by the classical dance form Odissi with her own interpretation and movement style.
What makes the story even more surprising to many fans is that Sangarasivam herself is Sri Lankan, not Indian.
“Michael Jackson Wanted to Perform a Duet With You”
In a recently resurfaced interview shared online by “India Wants To Know,” Sangarasivam recalled initially hesitating to audition for the project because she respected classical dance traditions.
“There’s this call for auditions for a Michael Jackson video,” she remembered being told. “And I’m like, well, you know, maybe I don’t know. I don’t think so because ours is really a classical tradition. I’m not sure how this is gonna fit into a Michael Jackson video.”
The dancer said it was her parents who encouraged her to take the opportunity seriously.
“I said, ‘Daddy, I don’t know,’” she recalled. “And Amma said, ‘Tell them darling, you absolutely should go for this audition.’”
That decision would ultimately place her alongside one of the biggest entertainers in music history.
“A week or so later they informed me,” she said. “I picked up the phone and they said, ‘This is the Michael Jackson production company and Michael Jackson wants to perform a duet with you.’”
Sangarasivam described the moment as surreal and emotional.
“As soon as I put down the phone I just screamed and just [started] jumping off the walls,” she said.
A Cultural Fusion That Became Pop Culture History
Released in 1991, “Black or White” became one of Jackson’s most globally recognized videos, celebrated for its themes of racial unity and multiculturalism.
The elaborate short film featured dancers and imagery from multiple cultures around the world, helping cement the production as a landmark moment in pop culture history.
Sangarasivam’s appearance stood out because it introduced millions of viewers to movement inspired by South Asian classical dance traditions, even if the choreography itself was intentionally stylized for an international pop audience rather than presented as a textbook performance.
The renewed interest in the sequence has sparked conversations online about cultural fusion, artistic interpretation, and how global pop culture borrowed from, and sometimes reshaped, traditional art forms during the 1990s.
For many longtime fans, the resurfaced interview also offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how one brief scene in a legendary music video became an unforgettable part of Jackson’s artistic legacy.
