How this dance studio connects adopted children to their native roots
GRANBY, Colo. — Every year, families from across the country gather for a heritage camp where adopted Indian and Nepalese children come to learn about their roots.
Mudra Dance Studio has been part of the annual camp for over 20 years. Founder Namita Khanna Nariani said the mission of the studio is to "celebrate diversity through the universal language of dance and music and to expose the world to the beautiful cultural fabric that India brings to our culture here [in the United States]."
The Aurora, Colorado-based dance company leads many crafts and workshops throughout the three-day camp, including traditional Indian dance classes, leading up to a big final performance on the last day.
Nariani's favorite class to teach is an adult class for adoptive parents. She said that during the final performance some children are laughing, some are embarrassed, some are overjoyed. It allows the parents to feel closer to their kids because "they're taking a little piece of culture with them."
The goal of the camp is to expose adopted children to their native roots, but Namita also hopes to spread love and diversity throughout the world, connecting cultures and people together.
This report originally appeared on Rocky Mountain PBS' "Arts District."
Support Canvas
Sustain our coverage of culture, arts and literature.
Ordinary people with extraordinary stories. That's the ethos behind the Louisville Story Program which is celebrating ten years of amplifying…
Authentic cuisine. Authentic voice. Authentic self. Authenticity as artifice. Lookups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary company's…
Irish writer Paul Lynch won the Booker Prize for fiction on Sunday with what judges called a "soul-shattering" novel about…
Daryl Hall has sued his longtime music partner John Oates, arguing that his plan to sell off his share of…
In leading museums these days, women artists are gaining more prominence. But studies of acquisitions and overall exhibitions show just…
Jonathan McCrory has served as the artistic director at the National Black Theatre for over ten years. Along the way,…
Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7.3 million euros ($8 million).…
When the popularity of his "Happy Days" character, The Fonz, exploded in the 1970s, actor Henry Winkler worried he'd be…
Taylor Swift postponed an Eras Tour concert in Rio de Janeiro Saturday after a 23-year-old fan died during her Friday…
Country singers, romance novelists, video game artists and voice actors are appealing to the U.S. government for immediate relief from…
A lawsuit by singer Cassie containing allegations of beatings, rape and abuse by music producer Sean "Diddy" Combs has been…
R&B singer Cassie, who filed a lawsuit Thursday in New York federal court, said Combs began the pattern of abuse…
Keegan-Michael Key is a modern master of sketch comedy, starring in hits shows "Mad TV," "Key and Peele" and "Schmigadoon!"…
Digging deeply into family lineage has taken off with visits to genealogy websites estimated at over 100 million a year.…
John Bailey, a cinematographer who worked on films ranging from "Ordinary People" to "Groundhog Day" and presided over the Academy…