Increasing Access to Dance in Mumbai

Krisha Singhal is an IB high school student living in Mumbai, India. She started dancing at 5 years old and has been passionate about dancing for as long as she can remember. She has performed and learned ballet, modern, Latin American, Indian folk dance, and Kathak. She hopes to continue dancing and performing in the future, especially classical Indian, so more people can appreciate and learn about Indian culture through art! This year, Krisha led a We Dance for Change project to increase access to dance in Mumbai.

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Summary of Krisha's project: 

Situated in Worli, Mumbai, the Society for the Rehabilitation of Crippled Children houses a school which serves the needs of children from all backgrounds and sections of Indian society. They cater to children with different learning needs such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, mild autism, and provide mental and physical therapies. Other than receiving education and therapy, the students also engage in vocational subjects such as craft, sewing, music. This summer, I received the opportunity to teach them dance. Teaching them thrice a week, I trained groups of 4-5 students various folk dances from different states of India. Students learned and performed the traditional dances from the states of Assam, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab and Kashmir. Following 2 months of vigorous practices, they finally performed these dances on traditional music, wearing the traditional clothing from each respective state as a celebration on Indian Independence day, 15th August 2023. It was a showcase for their parents, teachers and the rest of the school faculty. The varied dance forms depicted the unity in diversity of the country, and gave them an opportunity to artistically connect with their roots and learn new dance forms.

(Written by Krisha Singhal)

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