“This was a wonderful opportunity for dancers to perform. We would love to do this again!”
Diwali at Brookdale
Our first community event at the Brookdale Senior Living Center, Westlake, on November 1st 2025 was a great success! It featured performances from three dance schools: Kalakshiti Performing Arts, Natyalaya School of Dance, and SAAYA Performing Arts. The event’s mission was to engage with the senior community through the medium of Indian dances and share information on Diwali – the Festival of Lights. All dancers were requested to perform a piece inspired by Diwali celebrations across India.
The first performance was by one of our own volunteers, Sona Rao from Kalakshiti Performing Arts. Sona performed a classical Bharatanatyam dance to the song “Ranjani” , a delightful piece on Goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of light, grace, and abundance who is welcomed into each home during Diwali. The dancer, through expressive movements and intricate rhythms, praised the divine qualities of Goddess Lakshmi, describing her as the auspicious one with lotus-like eyes, a gentle smile, and a compassionate heart who blesses her devotees with peace and prosperity.
Next was a lovely performance by a group of six young dancers from the Natyalaya School of Dance to the song “Ananda Rupini,” a wonderful piece about Goddess Saraswati. In this piece, the dancers invoke the blessings of Goddess Saraswati, the divine embodient of knowledge and the arts. Her presence fills our thoughts with creativity, clarity, and calm. Just as the lamp dispels the night’s shadow, her grace dispels the darkness of ignorance. The little nine and eleven year old performers, in their traditional festive attire, captured the hearts of the seniors.
Finally, we had Shruthi from SAAYA Performing Arts who performed a high energy Bollywood inspired semi-classical and folk dance set to the songs “Ghar More Pardesiya” and “Dholida.” This captivating fusion performance captured the joyful spirit of Diwali celebrations in the community. “Ghar More Pardesiya” reflects the warmth of welcoming loved ones and new beginnings, while “Dholida” echoes the vibrant community celebration, inviting us to embrace light and unity.
The Seniors at Brookdale were a lovely audience. They were very engaged and asked a lot of questions about each dance, and in general about Diwali and other Indian festivals. We had a fun time answering their questions and chatting with them after the dance.
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