Shakti Caravan 2025

More photos coming soon!

This month, The Vanaver Caravan is in India! Livia, Bill, Andy Teirstein, Jill Ann Schwartz, and Chelsea Needham are part of the Shakti Caravan, sharing dance and music in the streets and schools of Udaipur and Pondicherry. For Livia and Bill, Chelsea and Livia, this trip is a homecoming; for Andy, it’s a fresh adventure.

The Shakti Caravan, an initiative of The Vanaver Caravan since 2012, is all about cultural exchange—building bridges from Ulster to Udaipur and New Paltz to Auroville, connecting communities through the joy of dance and music.

In Udaipur, the City of Lakes, cobblestone streets come alive with spontaneous contra dances. Bharat Verma, India’s first body percussionist, transforms everyday movements into captivating rhythms. The Caravan also collaborates with Shikshantar, The People's Institute for Re-thinking Education and Development, enriching the exchange with innovative learning and green entrepreneurship.

Just outside Pondicherry lies Auroville, a global community rooted in unity. Every Thursday at dawn, Chelsea and Livia Zoom in from New York, Bharat joins from Udaipur, and together they lead dance classes with the Malarchi kids at Aikiyam School—a celebration of movement across time zones. This month, they all get to dance together!

The Shakti Caravan’s programs are as varied as its dance steps: bringing dance to schools, sharing rhythms with local dancers, and performing in theaters, streets, and festivals. Each step and song weaves a tapestry of shared stories.

Follow their journey on our Instagram: @Vanavercaravan.