July 30, 2025: A recent 170-hour classical dance performance by an undergraduate student from Mangaluru, Karnataka, broke the previous record for the longest Bharatanatyam performance in the world. Remona Evette Pereira broke the previous world record, which was held by Sudhir Jagpath, a 16-year-old who competed in a 2023 event for 127 hours. Remona began her eight-day dance performance on July 21 and her extraordinary achievement is now part of the Golden Book of World Records.
Pereira has trained for 13 years in Mangaluru’s Yeyyadi and to achieve the world record feat she had practiced for five to six hours daily for months. In 2022, she received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for excellence in art and culture.
She has formal training in semi-classical, western, and contemporary dance styles in addition to her expertise in Bharatanatyam. As she reached the finish line on Monday, the crowd, comprising her parents, mentors, and supporters, celebrated with elation.