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Why India?
The second most populated country in the world, India is second only
to China in crossing the one billion mark. Endowed with a mere 2.4%
of the planet's surface area, incredibly, India still supports over
15% of the world's population - almost 40% of which are below the age
of 15. With 22% of Indians still existing below the poverty line and
a 40% illiteracy rate, the country has an over-abundance in terms of
population, especially children, many of whom have no future, and more
importantly, no means to create one.
Yana Lewis has worked with under-privileged Indian children and has
discovered that they have boundless and untapped talent and energy.
Such energy is often channelled in false directions, condemning the
children to a life of theft, begging, drugs and prostitution, most
often against their will. Yana is convinced that through dance, this
raw energy can be directed to develop important life skills including self-respect,
self-motivation and a sense of responsibility. Those children with the
desire and passion could go further, possibly even building a career
out of dance. The Foundation is geared towards making positive strides
in this direction.
The Indian cultural heritage dates back to the beginnings of civilisation. With the recent onset of globalisation, Indians, always enthusiastic patrons of the arts, have turned also towards western art and culture. One field in which the country continues to lack knowledge and exposure however, is in western classical and theatrical dance forms. The Yana Lewis Dance Academy headed by Yana Lewis is one of only two accredited international standard ballet schools in the country. This is in stark contrast to the innumerable certified dance schools that exist in almost all developed countries. Dancers and dance teachers in India resort to imitation without proper knowledge of the technique that forms the backbone of western dance, the results being a far cry from the true art, and leading sometimes to serious injury, that could end a dancer's career. Born out of a deep respect for India's dance tradition, Yana seeks to bring western dance to India in its true form - imparting to her dancers the correct knowledge of technique, artistry and performance.
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