| GIRL POWER | APRIL 2016 |
| SACRED EARTH STORIES | JUNE 2019 |
Social Justice and Sustainability
Intersectional environmentalism
Anuradha hopes to provide a platform where displaced and marginalized community members may find a place where their voices can be heard and shared through creative expression and also bring awareness to larger global issues. Anuradha is a recipient of the Artistic Innovations Grant 2018 from the Mid-America Arts Alliance for a new pilot project called Dance for Global Goals. She is also the first Artist in Residence at the Asian American Resource Center, a facility of the City of Austin. During this project she conducted workshops with multi-generational members of the South Asian community who experience marginalization. The project empowered seniors from India as well as teens from refugee camps, and culminated with a performance piece with Anuradha and musical accompanists in April of 2018. Projects like these are in line with Anuradha’s dedication to fully utilize dance as a tool of empowerment while preserving and promoting South Asian culture and heritage.
In June 2019, Anuradha presented Sacred Earth Stories, an original production connecting ancient earth mythologies with current climate issues through dance, spoken word, live music, and multimedia. Partnering with a youth environmental club and Citizen’s Climate Lobby created a youth challenge project to inspire young people to become engaged in climate issues. In August 2020, Anuradha presents an online premiere of the updated and film version of Sacred Earth Stories which highlights the intersectionality of sustainability and social justice.
Girls' Empowerment
strength, self-reliance, and confidence
Anuradha’s passion for empowering girls through the arts has grown from her extensive experience over the years. Since 2016, Anuradha has worked with young women as both a mentor and role model. Her approach to dance education is centered in providing high quality dance training, performance opportunities, and above all a sense of self-empowerment that can be carried over into areas of life beyond dance. Students are taught to portray strength, self-reliance, and confidence - all crucial elements of female empowerment. With the right approach, she understands that dance is a tool that can lead to self-discovery along with physical, mental, and spiritual growth.
Students often train with Anuradha for over ten years, towards the end of which they perform a solo debut performance called the arangetram. For two years leading up to this event, students engage in a one-on-one intensive program of study with Anuradha. This period of time is crucial for personal growth as well as technical and artistic skills.
In 2016, Anuradha produced, choreographed, and directed Girl Power!, a full length dance performance at The Long Center in Austin, TX featuring fifty-four performers including Austin Dance India’s entire student ensemble, alumni, girl’s choir, and professional musicians. This production was a celebration of Austin Dance India’s 25th anniversary of serving the Central Texas community.
The performance paid homage to bold and powerful women who have contributed to gender equality and quality education worldwide. It also introduced the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) set forth by the United Nations, partnering with local youth chapters of organizations like Girl Up and Child Rights and You. Anuradha promotes sustainable development through the empowerment of girls and women.
Artist Twenty Thirty Network
ideas, lessons, and opportunities
Part of a wide array of the United Nation’s network organizations, Arts Twenty Thirty is a global network based in New York City which brings together artists from around the world with a common goal to implement the use of music, literature, visual arts, theater, and dance to offer unique perspectives and solutions towards today’s most pressing global challenges. Artists within this network have performed at high level events such as the Vatican Youth Symposium, European Arts Forum in Brussels, and many more.
As an artist who is passionate about using her art form to inspire social change, Anuradha has been involved in the Artist Twenty Thirty Network since 2017. She was selected to be a part of this online global network since the network's mission to use human imagination to inspire a social movement for sustainable development was in line with her practices as a teacher and performer. Her involvement includes exchanging ideas, sharing lessons learned, and sharing opportunities to collaborate using art to express many aspects and challenges of sustainable development.
To learn more about Artists Twenty Thirty or support this effort by hosting an event, inviting artists, or offering sponsorship, please visit twenty-thirty.org.