Why You Should Become A Sustaining Member
Photo by Meredith Heuer.
The Real Impact Of A Caravan Education
I was 4-years-old when I began my education with The Vanaver Caravan. During Creative Movement class with Livia, I learned--in my whole body--about the growing cycle of plants, the changing of seasons, and how to understand and respect the feelings of my tiny peers. As we grew up, we learned pieces of history that do not get passed down in textbooks: stories that can only be told through movement and song. We learned to look with curiosity at customs that seemed different from our own. And, we learned to trust our bodies without shame.
I have continued to learn, love, and proudly pour my love back into this Company. But it is more than sheer sentimental attachment that brings me back, time-and-again, to the unique work and mission of The Vanaver Caravan. For years, I have watched this company strive to make a good and lasting impact on the world's communities.
Photo by Meredith Heuer.
Today, as our Fall fund drive begins, my goal is simple: by Giving Tuesday, November 28th, I want you to become one of the Monthly Sustaining Members of The Vanaver Caravan. If you are reading this, you are part of The Vanaver Caravan's global community and it is very likely that The Company made an impact on you, however small or large. We are asking you to do the same: to contribute and make an impact, however small or large.
Humor me for a moment. I'd like you to take a close look at our mission statement:
“Recognizing that the arts often communicate what words fail to express, the mission of The Vanaver Caravan is to inspire, through dance and music, the harmonious co-existence of world cultures and traditions, to promote peace and celebrate our humanity. We envision a world where people understand and respect one another – where our differences unite rather than divide us. ”
I speak for myself when I say this: we need this mission today more than we ever have before. The words above are not some lofty dream. Livia and Bill Vanaver have made it come to fruition with every song and dance that they have ever learned, performed, or passed on in their teachings--for almost 50 years.
I do not want my education and that of my peers to be some unique, unaccessible dream for other children. I want The Vanaver Caravan to have the means to share this work in schools, theaters, and festivals across the globe.
We need the children and adults of this world to learn to trust their bodies without shame, celebrate differences, and come to understand and respect the feelings of others. Imagine a world where all the grown-ups running things today had been given the opportunity to learn the values this company teaches. What a different world that would be, wouldn't it?
When you contribute to The Vanaver Caravan, you make possible the work we need to do--on a local, national, and international level--in order to fully realize this mission. Whether you give $3, $5, $10, $20 a month or make a one-time (tax deductible) donation, your part in this matters.
Take action. Give back to your global community. It means the world.
Photo by Meredith Heuer.