cultureSHOCK in the best way

So it wasn’t until my friend commented on my see-ya-later post on Facebook that I realized I never explained how/why/with whom I am going to India. Let me fill you in… 

I am in India thanks to Artists Striving To End Poverty (ASTEP), a non-profit that believes in the power of arts education to give students the power to succeed:

“Access to the arts is essential to children’s academic and social success. From improving reading comprehension to advancing creative thinking, from teaching problem solving to fostering collaboration, access to the arts brings about significant improvements in children’s educational and social development.” - http://asteponline.org/2013/ourstory/

A still from dance class (I'm in the pink making the students feel goofy)

I became involved with ASTEP this past summer in NYC teaching dance at a summer camp for refugee youth organized in cooperation with the International Rescue Committee. I got to teach students from Tibet, the Ivory Coast, Sudan and about 20 other countries, and I got to learn so much more from them. The students were so grateful to be in the US and so appreciative for the chance to learn just about anything - although it did feel like pulling teeth to get a couple of the boys to dance. By the end of the four weeks though, both of my high school groups performed 3 minute dances and rocked it. Click here to see a peak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrnywQIIKKQ&list=UUnAO-t7x9n2bbSAMR6646IQ

I had been bit by the volunteering/teaching bug and the next thing my family knew I was telling them I was going to India.

After a wild travel ride I arrived at Shanti Bhavan (SB) at 6am this morning. It’s funny, before I left everyone kept asking me, “Aren’t you so excited?”, and I never really knew how to answer. Of course I was excited, but I had no idea what to expect of where I was going so I didn’t know what to be excited for. I am happy to say that SB has exceeded any expectations I could have held. The campus is an educational oasis in the middle of a jungle. The students are more full of life than anyone I have ever met. And the teachers and staff go completely out of their way to make sure you are settled and satisfied.

Just a small example, when I got to breakfast at the dining hall this morning, I had no more than sat down in my chair when about 10 children no taller than three feet came running up asking me my name and telling me theirs. I had never felt so welcomed before in my life.

It’s only been a day, and a jet-lagged one at that, but I am already so inspired by this place and these children that I can feel the dances bubbling under the surface just waiting to be embodied.

Inside of the schoolhouse

"The Park"

The walk up to the schoolhouse