We serve both our local and international community. We provide funding for organizations that are on the ground doing amazing work and making a difference. We support organizations that serve different populations in need around the world. Organizations We Support: Free the Slaves L.V. Prasad Eye Institute
We want to demonstrate the power of the arts when dealing with different aspects of life. When we first created Dancing for a Difference in 2008, our primary focus was to raise awareness for health related issues. Health encompasses so much, including hunger, poverty, education, safety, and more. As the world changes we see the need to help others and we want to do our part! These goals have become even closer to our hearts. In 2011, we lost our father to a long and hard fought battle to cancer. He was our mentor, our friend and our biggest fan. During our darkest days we often found that music and dancing were the only things we could turn to. Our experiences have strengthened our commitment to helping others realize that not only can dancing bring you joy and lightness…it can help heal your soul and it can affect change.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
DO YOU HAVE AN ORGANIZATION THAT YOU FEEL NEEDS OUR SUPPORT? PLEASE TELL US!
HOW DO WE DO THIS?
Special Event Choreography People are always looking to make their event unique and with full scale performances, we can help make the day incredibly special. We have choreographed dances for over a dozen weddings and events and have experience coordinating and teaching people all over the world using video choreography that is simple to learn and sure to impress.
Dance Group We have a brand new dance group! We love all styles - Bollywood, bhangra, hip hop, classical, fusion, latin, etc. We perform at various NY charity events, weddings, special events, and help engage your guests to make your event that much more fun and entertaining. We will keep you posted on upcoming events and performances!
Dance Classes We offer classes in the Los Angeles and New York areas. Indian dance has exploded all over the world through the increasing popularity of Bollywood movies to Exercise classes in Indian dance to Music artists incorporating Indian music into their song creations. Come join the fun!
FaceTime/Skype/YouTube Classes If you aren’t located in one of the areas where we are, with the help of technology we can be in your living room in minutes! This is a great way to get kids and adults both involved in South Asian Dance without having to trek to a class that’s far away.
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
We created Dancing for a Difference with two different goals in mind. The first was to establish an organization that was dedicated to raising awareness and money for important social issues impacting communities around the world. We found that in our communities, people are often reluctant to talk about the difficult things: illness, poverty, abuse – all of which are affecting millions of people around the world every day. And we wanted to shed light on these difficult topics by sharing one of the most beautiful parts of our culture – dance. Our vision is to create an outlet for people to express themselves and foster a community of dancers, performers, and activists who use the arts to heal both themselves and the world.
WHO ARE WE?
Sowjanya Kilaru Co-Founder and Executive Director
A graduate of New York University with a Masters degree in International Health Policy and Management, Sowjanya is dedicated to shedding light on important and sometimes difficult health related issues. She has been passionate about dancing since she was 5 years old and has training in classical Indian dancing and is a professional Bhangra and Bollywood dancer. Sowjanya was a member of the Boston University Bhangra Team, Boston Bhangra Dance Team, and Mera Punjab Bhangra Dance Team where she competed in Bhangra competitions around the country. She has 20+ years of choreography experience and has choreographed over 100 pieces in Bollywood, Classical, Bhangra, Hip Hop and Fusion styles.
Lavanya Kilaru Co-Founder and Director of Events
Lavanya has a law degree from NYU School of Law and helped establish Dancing for a Difference as a non-profit. Lavanya is an accomplished Indian dancer who has training in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi and spent 4 years in college dancing and choreographing traditional Bollywood and fusion dances. She is an avid traveler and immensely enjoys learning about new cultures and sharing her own culture with others.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?
We have raised over $30,000 for different projects in India through fundraisers, classes, and choreography. Check out more videos on our YouTube Channel
2014 DANCING FOR A DIFFERENCE IS A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION