Power of dance

Vyoma in action

This International Day of Dance we pay tribute to Vyoma Bhanap, a student at University of California Davis (UCD). Last year she secured a Strauss Scholarship to deliver a dance therapy project, Dance Bhoomi, to teenage girls living in our residential home, in partnership with our on-site counsellors. Expression through dance, music and movement was the focus of the year-long program to help our youngsters manage their mental health and wellbeing to ensure they are better equipped to deal with their teenage years and emotions.

Vyoma recently presented the impact of the project to the Strauss Board who loved her project and were very impressed with all the work everyone has put in. They especially loved our student testimonial videos where our girls shared what the sessions have meant to them. We initially targeted those with specific issues but gradually the sessions were open to all with an interest and they proved very popular and brought the girls involved increased confidence and new friendships. The fun elements of the sessions also strengthened the relationships between our girls and their counsellors with improved bonding and trust between them, invaluable when seeking to address their issues in counselling sessions.

Sessions have been held every Saturday since Vyoma visited in July last year. She was there in person for the first sessions and has been regularly checking in with online calls, recorded videos and weekly catch ups with our counsellors. Although the funding she received has ended, Vyoma remains committed to continuing the sessions and will be independently fundraising to cover the associated costs. We and the Strauss board are excited to see the project continue.

Vyoma is proving to be an incredible supporter after her first in person visit in 2022 when she and her family joined a team from Indians for Collective Action (ICA) and we were thrilled when she returned to initiate her scholarship project. Previously Vyoma had conducted a range of volunteering activities, including translation of our publications and online English classes.

"As an avid dancer, I noticed how the students were drawn to Zumba and dance as a release, which inspired me to apply for the Donald A. Strauss Scholarship and kickstart the Dance Bhoomi program. This program aspires to give students a movement vocabulary with which to understand their emotions, practice self-compassion and express their ideas – all while tapping into their innate love of dance."

You can watch and take part in one of Vyoma’s online sessions below.