Shakti Caravan 2018
Photo by R.J. Partington from our 2016 school performance at Happy Hours School in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
From the Shakti Caravan News Blog:
It's a family reunion! Livia Vanaver, Bill Vanaver, and their youngest son, Gabriel Vanaver, fly out to Pondicherry in southern India today to teach a three week dance and music program at the Akiyam school in Auroville. The focus will be on stories and folktales from around the world, which incorporate themes of non-bias, kindness, and respect for other cultures.
Auroville itself will celebrate its 50th year anniversary this month and the Vanavers will be there to bring together the many diverse communities who make Auroville the utopia that it is. Song, dance, and celebration is sure to follow.
After the Akiyam school, Livia and Bill head to Udaipur, Rajasthan, to visit our Shakti Caravan founding partners at the Shakti Academy of Performing Arts and Healing.
But that's not all! This April, Samantha, Brian, and Joel (three of The Vanaver Caravan's esteemed Company members and Shakti Caravan teaching artists) will be heading back to the Happy Hours School in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, to put together a large-scale world dance performance with the students there.
Stay up to date with all things Shakti Caravan! Visit www.shakticaravan.org.
Follow our adventures in India on Instagram: @shakticaravan @vanaver_caravan @sam_and_brian @joel_hanna
Upcoming Performances!
See details for Turn Turn Turn, DanceFest, and Dance Flurry 2018!
Our Newest Show, Turn Turn Turn: Pete Seeger in Dance and Music, is now available for booking.
We're especially excited to celebrate Pete's 100th Birthday this spring.
February 10th >> DanceFest!
Join us this Saturday for the 26th Annual DanceFest! Performances at 3pm & 7pm, at Rondout Valley High School. Tickets sold at the door.
February 16-18th >> Dance Flurry
Come dance with us at the Saratoga Dance Flurry. The Vanaver Caravan will be performing and teaching all weekend.
Happy Holidays from the Vanaver Caravan!
See our Holiday Video
As 2017 comes to an end, we, at The Vanaver Caravan, look towards the future with an intention to break down barriers between people which should never have existed in the first place.
We will do this the same way we have for the past 45 years: By celebrating, through dance and music, the humanity in everyone.
We invite you to celebrate with us this Holiday Season! Help us to bring the joy of celebration to a world that needs it today.
In other news...
SpringDance 2018 classes begin on January 8th. If you haven't registered, there are still spots available.
Back to India We Go!
Shakti Caravan, our partnership umbrella in India, is gearing up for another winter season of teaching, exchanging dances, and sharing our mission of peace and activism across the globe! Livia and Bill will be teaching at the Akiyam School in Auroville.
Wherever you are, Whatever you celebrate, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!
Into the Light We Go!
Read more to check out our Holiday Sale, Spring Dance Registration offers, and Giving Note.
Holiday Show, Holiday Sale
SpringDance & Seasonal Giving!
Catch Our Holiday Show This Saturday!
We had a wonderful time at the Sinterklaas Festival this weekend, where we performed excerpts of our Holiday Show, Into the Light. Catch the full production this Saturday with Arm-of-the-Sea Theater and The Ellenville Library and Museum.
Saturday, December 9th at Ellenville High School / Doors open at 2:30pm. Performance from 3pm – 5pm / 28 Maple Ave, Ellenville, NY 12428, USA (map) / FREE (Donations welcome).
Holiday Sale
Deck yourself, your friends or your family in our American-made dance-ware! Cozy sweatshirts, soft t-shirts, tank-tops, and custom duffel bags. Buy CDs and DVDs of our award-winning folk music, or pick up your own copy of "Uncle Bill's Banjo Book"! Our Holiday Sale goes through December 25th.
Early Registration for SpringDance
Earlybird Discount Until Dec 15th << Use Coupons: "Earlybird" (for single registrants) & "Early_Sibling" (for siblings)
This Season, Give the Gift of Dance.
Why not give a gift with lasting impact this season? Create a Sustaining Membership in a loved one's name or gift yourself a Membership. All donations are tax deductible and make a big difference. Help us bring light into the dark this holiday. We can't do it without you.
Wishing You Happy Start to your Holidays Season!
Fall Fund Drive FAQ: How your donation makes an impact
The Vanaver Caravan is a small nonprofit, but we cast a very wide net. We put together this list to give you an idea...
Photo by Meredith Heuer
This November, we are proudly asking you, dear members of our Vanaver Caravan community, to give back by making a tax deductible contribution. Become one of The Vanaver Caravan's first ever monthly sustaining members by Giving Tuesday, November 28th.
What is a sustaining member?
Sustaining members contribute to The Vanaver Caravan on a recurring basis throughout the year. It is now easier than ever to set up recurring donations online on our website. All donations are tax deductible, and payments can be altered, paused, or stopped at any time.
How much should you give?
No amount is too small (or too large). Even something as small as $3, $5, or $10 a month makes an impact on the work we are able to do.
What does a membership or donation contribute to?
The Vanaver Caravan is a small nonprofit, but we cast a very wide net. We put together this list to give you an idea...
1. Performances & Touring
Our Touring Company rotates around a family of 30 world-renowned dancers and musicians who hail from all over the world. Your contribution helps pay for their travel expenses & rehearsals, so that we can bring YOU our state-of-art, high spirited performances.
2. Arts-in-Education
Our work in schools is the flagship of our Company. From Pre K-12 through college, we design interdisciplinary dance programs that enhance school curricula. We provide students with unmatched, unforgettable learning experiences. Your contribution goes towards developing curricula, building resources, and training new teaching artists.
3. Scholarship Funds
We give a handful of scholarships to young, talented, dancers who do not have the financial means to attend our programming. Help us build a more financially diverse student body within our Dance Institute.
4. Administration & Management
Working tirelessly behind the scenes, we have a stellar team of 6 employees who make sure that The Vanaver Caravan continues to grow, thrive, and sustain itself.
5. Peace Advocacy & Humanitarian Work
To be honest, this is not its own separate category. Peace and humanity is ingrained into our very mission. That being said, The Vanaver Caravan, and all associated members, are recognized Goodwill Ambassadors for the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. In the past 5 years, we have attended annual summits at The United Nations Youth Delegates Assembly, worked with Syrian refugees in Greece with Translucent Borders.
6. Shakti Caravan, India
In 2012, we started an umbrella organization in Udaipur India (Shakti Caravan), which brings our programming to rural, urban, orphaned, and at-risk children & youths in India, and offers free self-defense courses for Indian girls and women. All of this work has been done on a voluntary basis and can only be sustained by donations from you.