Non-profit works in support of organization committed to eradicate curable blindness
(Long Island, NY) The debut production of the non-profit The Mudra Foundation: Art for a Cause left the audience wanting more. Titled WATER: The Flow of the Divine, the program thrilled, inspired and educated the packed audience at the Madison Theater in Rockville Center, NY.
Planned as the 10th Anniversary celebration of Mudra Dance Studio, Muttontown, NY, it was held as a benefit concert for Sankara Eye Foundation, the renowned organization that’s committed to eradicating curable blindness in rural India.
Mudra Dance Studio performers light up the stage at the Madison Theater in Rockville Center, NY.
The program opened auspiciously with a shloka on Apah – water in Sanskrit, by Dr. Sanjay Doddamani, a cardiologist who is also a trained classical dancer. This was followed by a sequence of dances rendered in the Bharathanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and Mohiniattam traditions, each interpreting water in their own unique style.
The dances educated audiences on a variety of water-related concepts like, the descent of the Ganges, the significance of the Kalasha and the birth of Brahma in a lotus, among others. Semi classical dances set to the composition of esteemed artistes like Gulzar and Shanker Mahadevan brought out other dimensions of water. A splash of lighthearted folk dances added variety and flair to the lineup.
There were exquisitely rendered guest performances by Vaishali Chaudhuri, Mala Desai, Preya Patel and Aarati Ramanand and their students as well as the schools of Savitri Ramanand, Syed Tirmizi and Swati Vaishnav. One of the highlights of the evening was a moving performance by Dr. Arti Datta along with her daughters Tanya and Saumya.
“The Mudra Foundation: Art for a Cause is a long nurtured dream. What better time to bring it to fruition than on the 10th Anniversary of my dance school. Like they say – you can’t stop an idea whose time has come!” said Dr. Arti Datta, Founder President of the non-profit.
An interesting deviation from the water theme was a performance by senior students of The Mudra Dance Studio that was especially choreographed as a dedication to the Sankara Eye Foundation. The NY chapter coordinator of SEF, Ms. Kanika Marwaha addressed the audience eloquently and gave an overview of their goals and vision for the next decade. The host of the evening was the well-known thoracic surgeon, Dr. Shahriyour Andaz.
For more details of The Mudra Foundation: Art for a Cause please visit www.TheMudraFoundation.org.
