Miranda Ten Broeke
CARAVAN CENTER

This is a very special year for the Center for Symbolic Studies and The Vanaver Caravan--and we need your support. Please consider making a contribution to our campaign to Build the Caravan Center at Stone Mountain Farm. Your donation will help build a new forever home for The Vanaver Caravan and a much-needed four-season creative space for a myriad of wonderful classes, workshops, performances, and local/international artist residencies.

CARAVAN CENTER
Miranda Ten Broeke
Looking Back, Dancing Forward

The Vanaver Caravan celebrates their 50th Anniversary this year with a series of events that highlight the best aspects of their impactful work; both past and present. Join founders, Livia and Bill Vanaver, and the Caravan community as they reflect on their legacy and imagine a bright future – handing the leadership torch to the next generation and building a home dance center in the Hudson Valley. . . READ ON.

Looking Back, Dancing Forward
goodnews
Miranda ten Broeke
Call for Submissions!

Call for Submissions

Excerpt: I don't know about you, but I could use some good news! So I'm making. My mom, Lexi, published an incredible in-print homeschool newsletter for over a decade. My favorite activity as a kid (aside from dancin') was getting to submit my own artwork, advice, recipes, and writing to a "Real Newsletter"! It was a genius idea, conceived by parents who chose to educate their kids at home. You may not have chosen to educate your kids at home, but here we are! If you’re looking for activities to do at home, scroll through our Good News feed or send in your own submissions.

I’m looking for submissions such as . . .

Call for Submissions!
events, The Company, performances
Miranda ten Broeke
Past event: July 3-8: Rudolstadt, GERMANY

From July 3rd-8th, the Company will be on tour in Germany, performing at Germany’s premier folk festival, Rudolsdadt. The Vanaver Caravan performed at Rudolsdadt in 1996 and 2007. We can’t wait to go back! SCHEDULE. If you happen to be in Germany, come find us (or plan a fun stop in Germany for your summer vacation).

Past event: July 3-8: Rudolstadt, GERMANY
events, performances
Miranda ten Broeke
Past Event: Jacob's Pillow "Inside/Out ...

The Vanaver Caravan will be performing excerpts of Turn Turn Turn at Jacob’s Pillow’s “Inside/Out” Festival. Thursday June 27th. Performance at 6:15pm. FREE PERFORMANCE.

Past Event: Jacob's Pillow "Inside/Out Festival"

Welcome Home, Vanavers!

Livia and Bill are touching down in New York today, after five weeks of teaching and development work for Shakti Caravan. 

Here is an excerpt from Livia from our Shakti Caravan Blog: 

Gathering of Shakti Caravan in Udaipur

Last night Nirmal at Mewar Foodies prepared a sumptuous meal for over 25 members of Shaki Caravan.  This was our way of thanking those that could join us for our final evening of this journey.

That gathering included  our partners: David and Rita/ founders and directors of Big Medicine Charitable Trust and Shakti Academy, Vijay Lakshmi and her family, Sayari, Sheru and their family and ALL  their amazing  musicians who just finished performing at . . . 

Read the rest at our Shakti Caravan blog >>>

And welcome home, Livia and Bill!  

 

Celebrating International Women's Day, internationally.

The Shakti Caravan 2018 tour continues! Livia and Bill Vanaver are currently in Udaipur, India, working under The Vanaver Caravan and Shakti Academy's partnership umbrella, Shakti Caravan. Read reflections from Livia & Bill about their time in and around Auroville, and the moving projects they took part in creating.

Recounting United Nations Youth Assembly

Ray, Rafal, Carla, Juan, and Barbara, backstage at the United Nations Youth Assembly. 02/15/18. 

Ray, Rafal, Carla, Juan, and Barbara, backstage at the United Nations Youth Assembly. 02/15/18. 

Ambassadors of Goodwill. 

Company members from The Vanaver Caravan performed last Thursday at the United Nations Youth Assembly. Here's what the organizers had to say . . . 

"Dear Vanaver Caravan dance group,

As the Youth Assembly at the United Nations comes to a close, the organizing committee and I thank you deeply for your performance at our Gala event. The Gala was a big hit and one of the most memorable parts of the conference for the delegates. Thank you for your fantastic role in helping to make it so! Please find attached our official letter of appreciation to your group.

It has been a pleasure to work with you all. I am glad that we got to showcase your group as the unique, and stellar dance portion of the evening. My conference team and I hope to work with you again, and we will keep you in mind for future conferences and events.

Sincerely,

Klevisa Kovaci

Operations & Special Events Coordinator

Youth Assembly at the United Nations

 
 

Thank you, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, for your kind words, and for including us as Goodwill Ambassadors. It's an honor to be a part of this work. 

Shakti Caravan 2018

Photo by R.J. Partington from our 2016 school performance at Happy Hours School in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.

Photo by R.J. Partington from our 2016 school performance at Happy Hours School in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.

 

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 

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