VOSAP founder Pranav Desai with dancers from Nityashetra School of Dance. / VOSAP

Art truly has the power to inspire and bring people together in ways that words alone cannot. When the “Art from Heart” program was launched, our goal was to spread awareness, evoke emotions, and address issues related to disability. Over time, the program has grown through an exciting collaboration with Nityashetra School of Dance, which is dedicated to teaching Bharatanatyam, the Indian classical dance form.

I had the privilege of witnessing "Shamskruti – Rhythms of Inclusion: Moving Towards Equality," a dance performance event in Tustin, California. It was an inspiring showcase of how a thematic dance performance can engage the youth and spark meaningful conversations about accessibility and disability inclusion.
 

Shamskruti – Rhythms of Inclusion: Moving Towards Equality dance performance. / VOSAP

The event featured 30 Bharatanatyam dancers who performed to tell the stories of a physically challenged girl, a blind teenage dancer, a blind boy, and a deaf and mute child. Their friends portrayed inclusion by engaging with them and encouraging them to participate. Through their art—dance—they beautifully conveyed deep emotional narratives that fostered empathy and moved the audience. Dance, with its ability to communicate emotion and tell a story without words, offers a unique and deeply personal way to represent the challenges and triumphs of those with disabilities. By channeling these experiences through their movements, the dancers honored the lives of blind and deaf artists and invited the audience to feel and understand their journeys in a profound way. The creativity, expression, and dedication behind these young dancers' performances highlighted just how deeply they are connected with the lives of those with disabilities.
 

I am incredibly grateful to Deepali Vora for coming up with "Shamskruti" and for the powerful vision she had. Her efforts, along with months of practice, made this initiative a reality. The dedication and collaboration she and her team put in are truly remarkable. The evening was attended by esteemed leaders such as Zeel Ahir (Council Member) and Daphna Patel (Commissioner) of Artesia City, as well as Dr. Pradeep Shukla and other prominent figures from academia, business, and social groups. Dr. Shukla and I had the chance to discuss how VOSAP can collaborate with Chapman University, where over 10,000 students and a thriving Disability Policy Research Center are committed to advocacy.
Sanchita and Astha, two extraordinary dancers, shared personal stories about how they are embracing the disabilities of their family members. Their heartfelt words inspired over 300 audience members. 

Astha :

“As the students of Nityashetra Dance School, we would like to start by thanking the Voice of SAP and our guru, Deepali Auntie for allowing us to offer a small token of support for the mission of SAP. Voice of SAP’s mission of rephrasing how we think about disabilities is extremely important. Disabilities are painful for the person experiencing them on two levels:

1.) the inability to engage in activities you expect your body to be able to do and

2) the shame and loss of identity that comes from those inabilities. And they are much more common than you think.

I saw this with my mother, who was diagnosed with a very rare neurodegenerative disease with no known external or genetic causes called multiple system atrophy at the age of 50 in 2023. She struggles to walk and speak, two abilities she derived her identity from. She often worries that I think of her as a bad mom because she can’t do my laundry for me. To which I respond – I am 24 years old, I think it would be a problem if you were still doing my laundry for me. She also no longer likes to go to India and meet old friends because of the shame she feels for her illness. These feelings are due to our conditioning as a society.”

Sanchita :

“My aunt has been unable to speak or hear since her childhood, but these challenges have strengthened her other abilities. Despite her difficulty in experiencing and expressing the world the way you and I do, she understands me better than anyone else. She knows me better than I know myself, she’s my best friend and always seems to know what I need without the need for words. She is a pillar of strength, wisdom, and resilience in my life. Her presence shows me that true identity and connection have nothing to do with conventional abilities.
We have created a culture in which our identity comes from what we do versus who we are. Furthermore, we create artificial hierarchies of commendable abilities versus non commendable ones. When the truth is, we all just have been gifted with different, but very special abilities. Thus, as a society we need to create individual identity beyond these abilities. And with Shamskruti, we have proposed one way to address this: Inclusion.”
The dedication of VOSAP Executive Member Jayana Shah, along with meaningful collaborations, is expanding VOSAP’s vision to empower lives through art and advocacy. My wife Usha and I also had a chance to meet with the dancers and everyone seemed inspired with a VOSAP presentation that helped raise awareness and donations for the empowerment of specially-abled individuals.
As we continue to explore new artistic expressions, I look forward to creating more opportunities to engage diverse communities, dance institutions, and universities. Together, we will amplify the message of disability inclusion, accessibility, and empowerment, harnessing the ABILITY of EVERYONE. 

The author is the founder of Voice of SAP (www.voiceofsap.org), an organization working in the disability sector and in a Special Consultative Status with UN Economic and Social Council.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)