by PRIYA DAS AND USHA SRINIVASAN A MOVEMENT FOR MOVING COMMUNI TIES
(formerly Sangam Arts) (formerly Sangam Arts)
From Diversity to Belonging through intercultural arts Fr iversity t Bel gi g through intercultural arts
Dances of Devotion, Dancers: (left) Charya Burt, (right) Lavanya Ananth
Folklorico dancers of Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí and Indian dancers of Xpressions
Sam Stone
Kristine Atkins
Kristen Burke
Mosaic America, Folklorico dancers of Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí and Indian dancers of Xpressions
Conference of the Birds, Dancers: Kathak Dancers from Antara Asthayi Dance, Hula dancers from halau napuaokamokihanaoha
ypically seen as a form of individual expres- sion, dance can be a form of worship, a pow-
immigrants to the United States were from European nations, fleeing war and economic hardship. While their music and dance were distinct from each other, they originated in an era when a clear distinction existed between the dances and music of “common folk” and those of “high society” such as ballroom dance and symphonies. These were a sign of upward mobility, governed by strict etiquette and formality. Due to their sponsorship by royalty and aristoc- racy, these dance forms reflected the ideas and pro- paganda of their sponsors. The porous nature of borders helped these art forms to proliferate and became prevalent throughout Europe before being
from those dance forms that came from Europe. But these non-European immigrants like us have found limited “mainstream” interest in their arts. As first generation immigrants from India who learned Bharatanatyam as a hobby, we live among a diaspora rich with a multitude of classical music and dance traditions. Though all Indian classical dances take inspiration from the same text, their practitioners in Silicon Valley create and perform to limited audiences. It was to address this fragmentation that Sangam Arts was founded in 2013. Our initial focus was on consolidat- ing and expanding audiences for Classical Indian dance in Silicon Valley. Given the common threads that bind
imported into the United States. This inevitably led to some artistic “cultured,” mainstreamed homogeneity. Then as now, imitation was considered the sincerest form of flattery, and the hope of upward mobility went hand in hand with the discernment and appreciation for the arts. At some point in this evolutionary pattern, dance came to mean a skill, a talent, a study used to excel in movement; an art, rather than the practice of a culture or community. The waves of immigration that followed World-War II, especially after the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1965 attracted a more diverse group of immigrants, those who had their own dance forms that dated back millennia and differed greatly in their music, costume, and expression
erful tool for passing on ritual and tradi- tion through generations. Dance traditions, movements and songs that get passed down through generations are typically those that originate as expressions of everyday life. Nomadic tribes used dance and song to make a home wherever they were. Dance in America began with the Indigenous peoples, as a spiritual offering to the celestials, and played a vital role in rituals and ceremonies. It also served as a medium of learning about nature and ancestors. The first waves of
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In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n amp l i f y u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n a p l i f y
44 Gough Street, Suite 201 San Francisco, CA 94103 www.dancersgroup.org
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