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Yuva Bharati - A Decade in the service of Indian Classical Dance in California- May 2016Registered in State of California, Yuva Bharati has been at the forefront of promoting Indian Classical Dancer in the Bay Area. Yuva Bharati's goal is to preserve and promote awareness of rich tradition of classical Indian dance, music and culture not only among the Indian Diaspora but also among the mainstream audiences. Covering the Indian Classical Dance Scenario through many years, we notice the bright light from California, from Yuva Bharati, showing direction and giving hope to talent. Let us all join Yuva Bharati to celebrate the achievement, a decade of dedicated and committed service, together. When I requested time for an interaction, the response made me feel very happy - "We all share the same values" - one of the best compliments received. Now, presenting to you our interaction: How it all started.. Please let us know the inspiration behind Yuva Bharati. The people & objectivesThe Beginning: In 2006 there was a conversation between a daughter and her parents about the next steps in her dance journey. She had finished her Kuchipudi debut and was fully charged to continue to perform and learn more. But where could she showcase her talent? There were many avenues to showcase film or Bollywood dances but there was no such platform to present Indian Classical dances. So, this family along with a group of friends set forth on a mission to provide a platform to Indian Classical Dancers, not just their daughter, but anyone else in the community who was seeking this opportunity. And Yuva Bharati came into being. Providing a Platform: Yuva Bharati recognizes the need to preserve and promote Indian classical dances and strives to provide a platform to classical dancers of all Indian classical dance forms like, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak, and Mohiniyattam. The artists get a professional stage to perform and share their art with a wide diaspora of audience. Dance enthusiasts of all ages get an opportunity to appreciate various dance styles, keep in touch with their traditions and culture, and receive inspiration to progress in their own artistic journey. To further enrich their dance education and art experiences, Yuva Bharati provides videos of stage performances on the Internet as well as on television. Currently there are 80 + such videos on Yuva Bharati's website. Let collaborate and Share the stage: Another key objective of Yuva Bharati is to bring artists, of same dance style and different dance styles, together to collaborate and share the stage. This collaboration opens doors for new choreographies and enriching experiences for both, the artists and the audience. We estimate that just in Bay Area there are about 100 schools with 80 to 100 students learning classical Indian dances. Yuva Bharati is the only organization dedicated to serving such local home-grown talent. A similar community or environment is present in other major cities of USA. Thus, there is a tremendous scope for organizations like Yuva Bharati or chapters of Yuva Bharati itself coming up in other major cities of US. Reasonable Price:Yuva Bharati strives to make its shows reasonably priced and affordable so that everyone can enjoy them. The idea is to reach out to as many people as possible. Everyone in the community, not just Indians, should be able to enjoy and appreciate Indian classical dances and culture. Yuva Bharati tries to reach out to the community and welcomes everyone to their shows. The introduction of the items is done in English for everyone’s benefit. People: People who work zealously to bring quality shows to the bay area audience are a group of dedicated, skilled, and passionate volunteers who perform all the tasks, including management. Here’s a snapshot of the volunteer activities: Board Members – Plan, create progressive goals, and guide the organization towards stronger future - Suresh Kondapalli, Santa Dasu Kondapalli, Sumathi Natesan, and Yamini Aluru. Executive Committee Members – Plan and execute the tasks including searching and screening the talent, coordinating the artists, managing the events, advertising and publicity, and many other tasks - Usha Balaraman, Lakshmi Gopal, Shanthi Raja, Divya Sundaram, and Raka Gupta. Youth Coordinator – Manages and coordinates the youth who volunteer at Yuva Bharati events and also helps with publicity of events on traditional and online media - Suchita Gupta Volunteers – Contribute tremendously in every show by helping with various tasks including ticket sales, membership enrolments, Videography, Photography, Website updates, creating videos for webcast and TV programs, Lighting and Audio in the control room, etc. – Ram Balaraman, Nisha Balaraman, Asha D, Kalyani Kadiyala, Teja Kondapalli, Lakshmi Parige, Krishna Sastry, Sundaram Singikulum, Shobhana Swamy, Ganesh Vasudeva, Raji Vemuri, Anu Yagati, Ravi Aluru, Pushkala Raju, Raju Narayanaswamy. What are the clearly defined activities of Yuva Bharati? One cannot but observe the sharp focus in everything Yuva Bharati does.Concerts:Yuva Bharati organizes 6 - 8 classical Indian dance concerts in a year and provides a platform to classical dancers in the United States. Artists look forward to performing on Yuva Bharati platform and go through a rigorous process of selection. Over 30 dancers apply for 9 performing slots in a year. All the programs are based on some form of Indian classical dance. There are 5 main classical dance forms in India namely, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak, and Mohiniattam. Yuva Bharati promotes all these forms thus representing various regions, cultures, and traditions. Kalpana: One of the popular shows at Yuva Bharati is “Kalpana” (meaning Creativity). Kalpana provides an opportunity for dancers to come up with new choreographies and also to collaborate with other dancers. This program is not restricted to any specific dance form. It brings together dancers from different Indian classical styles to create and present new pieces. “Kalpana” is a wonderful experience not only for the artists but also for the varied and wide audiences who feel privileged to witness different dance styles on the same stage. In addition, Yuva Bharati hosts senior and world-renowned artists in at least 2 concerts in a year. Some are well known gurus and travel from India or other parts of the world to perform for Yuva Bharati audiences. A decade of experiences and gaining respect from the society, what are your insights about the value of tradition in the land of opportunityImmigrant Indians, for whom bay area is home, strive to preserve their culture by teaching their children Indian music, dance, and art. Kids start learning these art forms at an early age of 6 years and continue to hone on these skills for at least 8-10 years or even beyond. Students of classical dances learn the values of discipline and continued and sustained effort. To support these young artists in their endeavor, we need to provide a platform where they can perform as well as watch their gurus or legends present their favorite dance styles. Yuva Bharati concerts bring together the young students, accomplished teachers, dance enthusiasts, senior citizens, and other community members and helps preserve and spread our traditions and culture. Fast changing times and ever more need to preserve and spread our ancient wisdom and rich culture. How do you see Changing times yet retaining the original purpose..In the past 10 years, Yuva Bharati has progressed towards bringing more variety, increased collaboration, and wider outreach. What started out as 4 Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi concerts in 2006 has expanded to 8 shows in a year. These concerts have brought in other classical dances like, Odissi, Kathak, and Mohiniyattam and also collaboration between the artists of various dance styles. Artists have also ventured to explore new non-traditional themes and theatrical-dance performances. Some choreographies are based on novels or stories from foreign lands. Yuva Bharati has provided a platform and facilitated many such new productions. While the traditional pieces provide the foundation, the new themes touch the heart with topics that we can all relate to in today’s world. Some productions connect the traditional stories with new perspectives. What are Yuva Bharati's Future Objectives?Yuva Bharati visualizes increasing collaboration amongst artists of various genres, coming together of artists from different geographical locations, inspiring and engaging more youth, bringing more affordable classical concerts to the bay area audience, reaching out to main stream audience, and continuing to provide a platform for new choreographies, ideas, and creative productions. Ms Santa Dasu adds, "San Francisco Bay Area has nearly 100 schools of Classical Indian Music and Dance. Each of these schools have 20 to 100 students. Similarly, there are several other metro areas in USA where there are large Indian comunities and having multiple music and dance schools. We feel that an organization like Yuva Bharati is much needed in other locations. Our vision is that we can replicate Yuva Bharati success in other cities by starting a chapter there." Your services are making a difference and providing the much needed inspiration and hope to the classical dancers, with such valuable experience, we need your message for the readersWe are fortunate to have exceptional Gurus and artists of various Indian classical dances and an environment where these art forms are thriving. Even though we are far from our original homeland, we are able to immerse ourselves and our children in our rich culture. Collaboration is the key to ensure that our traditional arts flourish and enrich the lives of our future generations too. ******* Do Not Copy, Copyrights Acknowledged,PriyaLasya, Hamara, (C), MY16-6-1 *Information as provided by contributor. All views are of the contributor |