Nruthya Shakti Dance Academy, a Dallas-based folk dance school established in 1994 recently hosted a folk and classical dance competition called Natyakalakar on March 26, 2022. Natyakalakaar is an annual tradition at NSDA to work with and raise money for a charity. NSDA’s school objective is called Nritya Seva, using dance as a service to help out the community. This year, they chose the charity Maina Foundation, a nonprofit which is located in Connecticut and is dedicated to providing resources to women for fighting breast cancer, including early detection, education, and treatment options.
The event was very successful as they had over 150 people come to enjoy the show and about 120 participants as well. The goal was to raise $6,000 through donations collected on GoFundMe along with company matching. However, with the help of the wonderful community of family and friends, they exceeded their initial goal and collected $11,000 to support many women in their fight against breast cancer.
This journey has taught the students the value of using skills they have to help others and encouraged them to continue to work with Maina Foundation.