Bharatanatyam dancer reaches out to govt school

Indu Santosh, a Bharatanatyam artist and teacher, founded the Vibhavana Foundation, with the hope to promote Indian classical art forms and culture. Along with taking classes, they involve in community outreach programmes. "I moved to Bengaluru in 2011, and I started teaching Bharatnatyam and conducting small workshops, but we only got registered as a foundation last year," shares Ms Santosh.

"When I moved to the city, I felt so welcomed. The artist fraternity and audience here is so open-minded and supportive. There is so much room for growth, here. This city played such a huge role in everything I was able to achieve," she shares. As part of an effort to give back to the art form, as well as the city, she formed the Vibhavana Foundation.

They have tied up with the C Krishniah Chetty Foundation to conduct regular dance classes for the students of Attiguppe Government School. They also conduct workshops, and art appreciation events to raise funds for various organisations. They also organise intimate audience performances to educate the audience about the various classical art forms. Margam, an annual student showcased organised by the foundation, also encourages the students to contribute to society by supporting a cause through the event.

They also conduct an annual performing art festival, Rasoham, wherein senior and reputed artists across classical art forms showcase their work. "What we want is to create a benchmark classical arts festival, while making a genuine cause an extension of the festival," she shares. Last year, the festival helped raise funds for an ailing artiste, Kottakkal Subhash, a percussion instrument artist who was in need of financial aid for a kidney transplant. This year, the festival is to be held on 28 and 29 September at A. D. A. Ranga Mandira and Rs 42 per ticket will be contributed towards the cause of the Cauvery Calling Campaign.