Wednesday, August 22, 2007

About: Victory Arts Foundation

SHIAMAK DAVAR has made DANCE a household name in India. He is now on a mission to make the entire nation DANCE with absolutely no discrimination of sex, age, caste, ability or impairment.

Inaugurated in March, 2004 Shiamak’s Victory Arts Foundation (VAF) is a not for profit organization committed to making dance a meaningful experience for ‘all’. VAF endeavors to use the power of ‘performing arts’ especially dance, to bring joy to the underprivileged, specially challenged, visually impaired and others. Started in March 2004, VAF continues to bring joy to over 1,000 children and adults with special needs across 45 centers all over India. Bringing a smile on their faces and adding a bounce in their stride, VAF takes the mission of Have Feet, Will Dance, one step further. Have Spirit. Will Triumph.

The Trustees include Mr. Shiamak Davar (Founder), Mr.Glen D’Mello who is also the CEO of Shiamak Davar’s Institute for the Performing Arts (SDIPA) and Ms. Mahazarine Canteenwalla General Manager for Shiamak Davar’s Institute for the Performing Arts (SDIPA).

The objective of VAF is to ‘Spread the joy of dance’ and use dance as therapy. Donations are utilized to make dance programs (classes and performance events) to the underprivileged, physically and mentally challenged, visually impaired and all such children and adults. VAF uses the power of dance and performing arts to light a spark of joy in their hearts, improve their self-esteem. VAF also provides medical support to the poor and needy, in addition to this VAF supports outstanding talent in performing arts and sports.

To name a few, VAF has been associated with NGOs like The Helen Keller Institute for the Deaf and the Deafblind, Spastic Society of India, Akanksha Foundation, Society for the Education of the Cripplied, Tamanna Foundation, Thallsemia India, Freedom Foundation, National Blind Association, Hope Foundation and many more for a long period of time.

Through VAF funded programs, Shiamak and his Instructors continue to empower these children with confidence and belief in themselves. VAF gives them an opportunity that many would not have dreamt of.

Initially parents of challenged children and the children themselves had inhibitions about their ability to dance, but gradually as the classes started, they were able to overcome their inhibitions and enjoy the dancing experience so much that it has now become an inseparable part of their lives.

Similarly, VAF has reached out to Adults suffering from Schizophrenia, depression, paranoia , hallucinations and similar mental illnesses.

The instructors are trained in Dance and Drama therapy so that they are able to communicate, train and deal effectively with children of special needs.

Shiamak’s VAF has been a part of the children’s lives for the last few years and has brought them immense joy and confidence through the power of dance.

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Earlier this year SHIAMAK’S VAF painted the town red at the Mumbai Marathon. Thousands of students and instructors from Shiamak Davar’s Institute for the Performing Arts proudly sported bright red VAF T-shirts and expressed their support to SHIAMAK’S VAF as they danced through the Dream Run. Wheelchair bound children from the VAF center of Sankalp for the Mentally Challenged represented VAF in the marathon’s Wheelchair Event.

Shiamak choreographed children of Society for the education of the Crippled to perform in the famous police games in Thane.

Plan India invited Victory Arts Foundation to perform at the Plan Utsav where street children from Doorstep Foundation performed to some famous filmi numbers and took many a celebrity by surprise with their dance moves.

Shiamak invites one and All to come forward and extend your hand in this drive to spread joy through the power of dance.

With a motive to help the young and the young at heart discover and enjoy creative expression through dance, Shiamak Davar’s Institute for The Performing ArtsTM or SDIPA™, as it is popularly known, continues to teach Jazz, Hip Hop, Rock N Roll, Afro Jazz, Salsa, Shiamak’s Indo Jazz and Shiamak’s Bollywood Jazz styles of dance. SDIPA conducts dance classes in thirteen cities in India, reaching out to thousands of students (4 to 84 years old, all shapes and sizes, specially challenged, visually impaired) One and all are a part of this disciplined, professional but most of all ‘fun’ institute.

Have Feet. Will Dance.

Shiamak’s Victory Art Foundation (VAF)

Through VAF funded programs, SDIPA Instructors continue to share the joy of dance with various NGOs all over India, including the following:

Mumbai
1. The Society of Education for the Crippled
2. Spastics Society of India
3. Helen Keller’s Institute for the Deaf And Deafblind)
4. Sankalp School For the mentally challenged
5. Jariwala Orphanage for Muslim Girls
6. Project Udaan for slum children
7. Indian Asociation for the Promotion of Adoption (IAPA)
8. Vatsalya Foundation.
9. Akanksha Foundation.
10. Apna Aap wpmens Collective.
11. Simle workshop.
12. JBCN
13. Kshitij Mental Health Center.
14. Manav Foundation.
15. SAI – Support for the Autistic Individuals.
16.Dr. Kalbaug Rehab Center.
17. Paraplegic Foundation.

Nagpur-
1. Home for the Aged and Handicap

Jaipur-
1. Umang
2. Udaayan

Delhi-
1. Ishwar Foundation
2. Tamanna
3. Shankara Foundation
4. Action for Autism
5. Thallsemia India

Bangalore
1. Freedom Foundation (Bangalore)
2. Baldwin Opportunity (Bangalore)
3. Shrishti Academy (Bangalore)

Hyderabad-
1. Sweekar Upkar (Hyderabad)
2. Sanskriti Shikhar (Hyderabad)
3. Indira Health Center. (Hyderabad)
4. Radhakrishanan Balbhavan (Hyderabad)

Pune-
1. Ashray (Pune)
2. Safosh (Pune)
3. Pankhuri (Pune)

Chennai-
1. Vidyasagar (Chennai)
2. Sankalp. (Chennai)
3. Mahesh Memorial Trust. (Chennai)
4. Little Flower School for the Blind. (Chennai)
5. RASA. (Chennai)
6. Juvenile home for Boys. (Chennai)
7. Juvenile home for Girls. (Chennai)
8. National Blind Association. (Chennai)
9. Balavihar (Chennai)
10. Hope Foundation. (Chennai)

Kolkata-
1. Cini asha (Kolkata)

We are happy to share this information with you and look forward to you and your support to VAF so that we can continue to ‘pay it forward’ and share the joy of dance and performing arts with many others.

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