Dance to heal: Workshop for kids

Dance can calm, bring peace and inculcate a sense of hope in any individual; and Sohini Roychowdhury, a dancer, choreographer, professor thoroughly believes in this healing power. In a three-day dance workshop in North Goa, this dancer taught over 400 children from across regular schools and from homes for the rescued and underprivileged children, and helped them rise above their abuse and abandonment.
“Children need to express themselves, especially those who stay in shelter homes tend to have a lot of mental health issues and dance can heal,” says Sohini, who perfoms Bharatanatyam internationally.

Talking about her workshop in Goa, she says, “We pick up a relevant topic which is mostly nature and its need and importance in civilisation. Various elements of nature are focused on – water, sun, animals and more and it is connected to Indian and Greek mythology. This also helps the child to be kind and respectful towards nature,” says Sohini.
She adds, “The children had to use emotions and expressions, hand and feet movements. We used Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. It was nice to see the children so happy and delighted to dance.”