Here are some uplifting stories reflecting what is possible when arts cross cultures.
A deep communication results that transcends language.

Read these and add your own story at the end of the last entry.

From Renee Kurz ....

Following a long held dream to serve in a radical way, dancer and dance teacher Renée Kurz committed 18 months of service in Chennai, India with Heart’s Home, an international Catholic service organization dedicated to promoting a culture of compassion.

Lakshmi and I ... two very different artists _ same mission.

in a bharata naytum class
Guru and disciple… witnessing their silent exchange; a profound reverence for each other and the dance. From the outside, for the onlooker, it seems cold and distant… but the bond that exists between the two is strong; a trust that cannot be broken.  The guru sitting crosslegged on a mat, hand chimes clacking the rhythm… his voice riding the scale; effortlessly sliding between the notes.  First the rhythmic taka-dema warm-up strongly clapping and clamming the feet and thumping the heels. The rigid torso supporting the strong, angled arm positions.  Long moments of silence in between exercises. Lakshmi standing, arms behind back waiting for the next que to begin. Code words relayed to distinguish one series from another… always the rhythm progressing from half-time, to single time, to double time.
Rehearsing a piece to Ganesh, the elephant god. An offering of flowers to begin a ceremony of dance. Big circle pathways, petals cupped in hand, articulately walking towards the statue of Shiva, the father of Ganesh. Subtle nuances, a look of the eyes, a dimpling of the cheeks. Taking on the quality of an elephant. Beautiful and strong; quick and lithe; cunning and gentle. Lakshmi’s dynamic range drawing me into the dance.
I am so blessed to have this friendship with Lakshmi, who splits her life between Paris, France and Pondicherry, India; her father is French and her mother is Indian.  Spending time with her has drawn me into the world of classical Indian dance… the deep counterpart of this culture, far removed from most of our poor friends.   Lakshmi possesses all the virtuous qualities of an Indian dancer… precise control over every one of her movements, a sure sense of each rhythm asked of her, and an expressive face needing no words to tell the mythical stories of the gods.
Her eagerness to step out of the confines of tradition and experience contemporary choreography and my eagerness to dive deeper into the Indian culture has led us both to the opportunity to collaborate on an evening of original choreography, bringing our diverse backgrounds together.  Yet one more simple, tangible way to pursue a dialogue of culture… to rehumanize the world through the beauty of our art.

On an enchanting summer evening, the first ever Heart’s Home charitable performance and dinner was held in Chennai, India.
Lakshmi, a French-Indian bharata natyam dancer and I collaborated ... creating a dialogue between cultures and traditions through our dance. Old and new friends gathered to support the Irudaya Niketan Trust, which supports the education of eight children living at the Garden of Mercy, a Heart’s Home community.
It was an event like no other; a beautiful opportunity for me to touch more deeply and live more fully the  truth of  why I dance. Making a  reality, an experience of, what it means for dance to connect hearts and create cultural bridges. How at the heart of each artist is one desire ... to communicate the mystery of their being, whether they are fully aware of that desire or not ... it burns so deeply that we HAVE TO create. Anyone who seeks beauty is an artist. In preparing
for this performance, Lakshmi and I were posed many questions.
Why do we need art? Why does our world need artists?
Dance, why? Purely entertainment ...
or is there something more?
This wasn’t the first time I was reflecting on these questions, but it was the first time for me to fully commit and identify myself with my answers. Lakshmi and I
had only one goal ... to transform and change souls, that they may walk away from the performance more human, more present to the beauty and life right before their eyes.
When I entered this life in India, I had no idea how it would connect directly to my artistic life. Now I am discovering that there is no separation.

Renee Kurz