The South Asian Awareness Network saan@umich.edu | saanatum.com SAAN aims to increase awareness of issues salient to South Asian communities, encourage its participants to engage thoughtfully with their surroundings and promote innovative solutions to issues of social justice. Responsible for the premiere undergraduate South Asian student conference in the nation, SAAN prides itself in the diversity of topics it covers (from the creative arts to politics) as well as the quality of its speakers.
Michigan Sahana michigansahana@umich.edu | michigansahana.com Michigan Sahānā is a group of Indian classical artists who attend the University of Michigan and was initially formed as ICMD (Indian Classical Music & Dance) during the Winter semester of 2003. Focusing on both performance and appreciation of the traditional art forms of India, we seek to foster the community of students interested in India’s rich tradition of music and dance. This includes putting on unique concerts to showcase the vast talent of the group and organizing educational events to spread awareness. Michigan Sahāna’s performances feature a diverse set of artists, including both Hindustāni and Carnātic musicians, and performers of many different styles of Indian classical dance.
BLOOM
Bloom is an interdisciplinary performance on sexual assault awareness and self-empowerment of survivors in the South Asian community through Indian classical music and dance, and spoken word. The story you will hear today was written by a South Asian college student who has chosen to remain anonymous. While the story details an instance of sexual assault perpetrated by a man towards a woman, we acknowledge the issue impacts all other gender identities as well. The content of Bloom may contain triggering material, and if at any point you would like to step out please read the resources page for more information.
GLOSSARY Bharatanatyam originated in southern India in the state of Tamil Nadu. It started as a temple dance tradition 2000 years ago. Bharatanatyam encompasses music, rhythmic (nritta) and expressional (abhinaya) dance and strictly adheres to the Natyashastra (the scripture of classical Indian dance). Kathak is an Indian Classical Dance form and is the culmination of years of varied cultural influences that emanated from the story-tellers of the ancient temples. Kathak contains traces of temple and ritual dances, along with certain features of Persian and Central Asian dances. Intricate footwork and spins, as well as abhinaya, the art of expression. Odissi is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the Hindu temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India. The theoretical foundations of Odissi trace to the ancient Sanskrit text Natya Shastra, its existence in antiquity evidenced by the dance poses in the sculptures of Odissi Hindu temples, and archaeological sites related to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The harmonium is the most widely-known and used free-reed aerophone in India and was imported from the West. It is common in classical, light, film or folk music. The Indian harmonium is a small portable box, the back of which opens to act as the bellows. On the top is a keyboard like that of a piano, but with a much smaller range, usually of about three octaves. This is played by one hand, while the other works the bellows. The tabla is an incredibly popular percussion instrument, and is a versatile pair of two small kettle-drums. The bulbous bass drum is called bayan and the wooden treble drum is called dayan. Traditionally these two are always played in combination. The history of the violin in India is believed to have begun in the early 17th century. Baluswami Dikshitar is the first known violinist to infuse the violin into traditional Carnatic music. While the Indian violin is identical to its foreign counterparts, it is normally tuned differently and played in a different position. Raag is the musical scale upon which the melody of a piece is based. It is defined by a set of notes, and it provides a framework for a composition and improvisation . Taal is the rhythmic structure of a composition, in the form of a repeating rhythmic sequence or beat cycle that can be shown using hand motions. Hindustani music is the traditional music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or Śāstriya Saṅgīt. Its origins date from the 12th century CE, when it diverged from Carnatic music, the classical tradition of southern regions of the Indian subcontinent. Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with southern India. It is one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu traditions. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style.
THE TEAM Anurima Kumar she/her/hers Bloom Director Anurima is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Community and Global Public Health and minoring in Art and Design and Applied Statistics. She is involved with SAAN as the Community Relations and Events director, and was driven to initiate Bloom to create a space to question stigmas the South Asian community holds about sexual assault and awareness. Anurima has been formally trained in Bharatanatyam for fifteen years under the guidance of Smt. Roopa Shyamasundara and hopes to use this traditional dance form as a way to integrate art and social justice, and to highlight issues that need to be discussed. Amara Shaikh she/her/hers Stage Manager Amara is a junior studying Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan and is a Community Relations and Events Committee director for SAAN. Through SAAN, Amara was able to explore her passion for social justice and work with her committee members to host events which raise awareness about different issues facing the South Asian community and understand how stand in allyship with other communities of color. Along with SAAN, Amara is a senior news editor for The Michigan Daily newspaper and one of the internal relations chairs for the Indian American Student Association. Sania Farooq she/her/hers Resource Director Sania is a sophomore at Michigan hoping to major in Public Health. Her involvement as a Community Relations and Events director in SAAN has allowed her to explore diverse issues pertaining to the South Asian community. Sania has always had an interest in illustrating and hearing the stories of others, and Bloom has become a perfect approach to do so. She hopes to continue the path of highlighting narratives through her photography work, and advocating to build a supportive community as Vice Outreach Chair of the Muslim Student Association. Sanjeev Raja he/him/his Music Director Sanjeev Raja is a freshman at the University of Michigan studying Chemical Engineering and Computer Science. He has been receiving intense training in mridangam, a South Indian classical percussion instrument, for over 12 years, and has performed in over 80 concerts and festivals throughout the USA and India. As Music Chair of Michigan Sahana and a director of Brindavani, a youth-run Carnatic music-based nonprofit, Sanjeev enjoys using his musical talent to serve the community and create awareness of societal issues. He is excited to be a part of the Bloom effort and take a step forward in reducing the stigma associated with sexual assault in the South Asian community.
THE TEAM Harnoor Singh he/him/his Music Director Harnoor Singh is a junior at the University of Michigan double majoring in Sociology, with a subplan of Law, Justice and Social Change, and Statistics. He was the Music Chair of Michigan Sahana from 2016-2018. He specializes in Hindustani Classical Music and the Gurbani Sangeet tradition of Raag Sangeet that comes out of the Sikh Panth. He has received light training for several instruments such as the Tabla, Dilruba, and Harmonium. He is currently studying Hindustani Khayal vocal music under Pandit Shantanu Bhattacharyya who belongs to Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s Patiala-Kasur Gharana. His upbringing and identity as a Sikh push him to continually think about the power structures that exist in our modern context and how we as individuals can be complicit in them. He hopes that shows and projects like Bloom will encourage the South Asian community to realize that it needs to do better at centering its most unheard voices. Sinduja Kilaru she/her/hers SAAN Co-Director Sinduja Kilaru is a senior studying Biomolecular Science with a minor in Gender & Health. She is the co-director of SAAN. She hopes that Bloom will continue the much needed discussion on the prevalence of sexual assault within the South Asian community. She is very proud of Community Relations & Events chairs Anurima Kumar, Amara Shaikh, and Sania Farooq for the immense amount of hard work and passion they put into this project, and their determination on shedding light on one of the most important topics of our generation. Sneha Rathi she/her/hers SAAN Co-Director Sneha Rathi is a senior studying Secondary Education and Biology. She is a Co-Director of SAAN. As a Bharatanatyam dancer herself, she is incredibly honored to be a part of a project that uses classical art to highlight the prevalent issue of sexual assault in the South Asian community. She is so proud of the hard work and dedication of the Bloom team, and hopes that this performance forwards the conversation around the issue on and beyond our campus. Kiki Bayen she/her/hers Michigan Sahana President Kiki Bayen is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Political Science, Double Minoring in Statistics and Computer Science. She is the President of Michigan Sahana: Indian Classical Music and Dance. She is classically trained in Kathak by Guru Reshma Buch for over 9 years. She has witnessed that the classical arts can build strong bonds and close friendships. Kiki is excited for Bloom because she believes in the potential of dance, music and poetry in creating unity and mutual understanding.
THE CAST Dancers Sitara Murali she/her/hers Sitara is a junior majoring in Public Health Sciences. She is involved with Michigan Sahana as a dancer and has been trained in Bharatanatyam for the past fifteen years by Smt. Devika Raghavan. Sitara was interested in participating in Bloom in order to directly engage with and challenge the views of the South Asian community in regards to sexual assault. Prior to Bloom, Sitara has not had the opportunity to depict themes and stories in a social justice context through Bharatanatyam. She hopes to continue to unite art and activism in her future career in the health sciences. Miloni Shah she/her/hers Miloni Shah is a senior majoring in Gender and Health and Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan. She has classically trained in Bharatanatyam under her guru Chaula Thacker for twelve years. Through her training, she has learned the power of creative expression that dance holds to effect real change. Miloni is very excited to be a part of Bloom as well as work with other creative individuals to portray art as a form of social justice, and contribute to the larger dialogue of sexual violence in the South Asian community. She hopes that you follow along on this journey and join us in our goal of self-empowerment and awareness. Subarna Bhattacharya she/her/hers Subarna is a freshman hoping to study Public Health Sciences at Michigan. She has been training in Odissi dance from her guru Enakshi Sinha for the past twelve years, and is currently a dancer in Michigan Sahana, where she also serves as Public Relations Chair. Subarna chose to participate in Bloom because the lack of conversation about sexual assault and other serious issues in the South Asian community is something that is absolutely unacceptable, and she wanted to do her small part in tearing down this wall of silence. Subarna is very grateful for this opportunity to combine her love for dance and and social justice in this project, and hopes that the message of Bloom will inspire people to increase dialogues about important issues such as the one presented tonight. Sanika Chitre she/her/hers Sanika Chitre is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Psychology. She has been trained in Kathak for that past 12 years from Guru Ashoka Rao and continues to pursue Indian Classical Dance through Sahana as Dance Chair. Sanika is interested in being involved with Bloom because of the strong message that this project addresses around the stigmatization of Sexual Assault in the South Asian Community. She is passionate about Indian classical art and the power it has to convey emotion and evoke change in the people it reaches. As someone who has not had the opportunity to use her talent in the context of social justice and activism, she is especially excited to use this art as a voice to increase social awareness and combat the lack of conversation around such issues.
THE CAST Musicians Vibha Deshpande she/her/hers Vibha is a sophomore in the school of Kinesiology majoring in Movement Science and minoring in music. She is a member of Sahana and has been singing since childhood, and studying classical music for 5 years. Vibha wanted to become more involved in SAAN to explore social justice issues from a South Asian perspective, since most of the time a western view is used. Bloom gave her an opportunity to depict stories of sexual assault through music, something she would not have thought possible before. She hopes to continue discussing these issues and expressing new emotions through music. Sunanda Adibhatla she/her/hers Sunanda is a junior at the University of Michigan majoring in Biology, Health, and Society and Economics and minoring in Environment. She has learned the Carnatic violin from her guru, Sri. Jay Shankar Balan, for six years and has been involved with Sahana as a musician for three years. She was interested in performing in Bloom because of its creative and effective platform of spreading sexual assault awareness throughout the South Asian community, especially since there is a lack of conversation in that area right now. She believes that it is important to relay the various forms sexual assault can take on as well address the many ways that its effects can manifest in the survivor. By being a part of this performance, Sunanda hopes to bring people the courage to talk about this issue and be more passionate in fighting ignorance. Spandan Pratik Rath he/him/his Spandan Rath is a sophomore at the University of Michigan currently pursuing a BSI degree in Data Science and Informatics. He is an involved member of Sahana and has performed in several concerts here on campus. He has been classically trained in tabla for 6 years in India and has had the opportunity to exhibit his musical passion through many concerts in the USA. Spandan is excited to have been given this opportunity to shine some light in the social evils such as sexual assault that still to this date prevail in our societies, especially in the South Asian countries and through the medium of Indian classical arts hopes to invoke some thought about how we as a collective society should come together to empower women and tackle this issue. He believes through the powerful sounds of music and the graceful visuals provided by the dance, we can encourage not only women but also men to help stop the tolerance of such violating acts and facilitate discussions that would help us achieve this goal in the future. Shrihari Bhaskaramurthi he/him/his Shrihari is a senior at the University of Michigan studying Computer Engineering and minoring in Mathematics. He has been learning Carnatic vocal music from his guru, Shri. Madurai R. Sundar, for the last 13 years, and has performed in many concerts and festivals in the US, Canada, and India. He has also been involved with Michigan Sahana for the last 3 years as both a musician and board member. Shrihari is excited to be a part of Bloom because he believes that music and dance can be a very powerful medium to raise awareness and further discussion on sensitive issues that are often not openly talked about in the South Asian community.
RESOURCES The topics covered in BLOOM may contain triggering material. If at any time you feel uncomfortable and want to step out, please feel free to do so. Listed are resources available if you are seeking any support or help. DURING THE SHOW Step-Out Room Room 1180 and Foyer In this room, we have placed stress-relieving activities. Please feel free to take whatever you would like. ON CAMPUS Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) (734) 764-7771 SAPAC Office Line (734) 936-3333 24-Hour Crisis Line SAPAC provides educational and supportive services for the University of Michigan community related to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, and stalking. They are committed to fulfilling this mission in a culturally-sensitive, empowering, and empathic way to University of Michigan students, faculty, and staff. They serve all racial, ethnic, religious, class backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender and social identities. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) (734) 764-8312 - (24hrs) UM Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers after hours support to any UM student or any person concerned about a UM student. You will have the option to leave a message or to Press 0 to speak to a licensed mental health professional. This is an extension of CAPS and can assist a caller in any mental health crisis situation. Counselors can also assist callers in accessing CAPS or other campus resources. When appropriate, CAPS staff will follow up with the caller on the next business day. Wolverine Wellness (734) 763-1320 Wolverine Wellness is the part of UHS that works across campus to support and improve student wellness by looking at a holistic perspectives of individuals.
THE CAST Poetry Bhavana Garapati she/her/hers Bhavana Garapati is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Psychology. Bhavana is the Internal Programming Chair of Yoni Ki Baat (YKB) and has had exposure to performing spoken word through YKB’s annual monologue show, which highlights narratives of all WoC. From her experience through YKB and having been trained in Carnatic music for eight years, she was interested in participating in Bloom as it aims to combat the stigma about sexual assault in the South Asian community through the scope of classical art forms. Going forward, Bhavana hopes to continue speaking up about stigmatized issues through various forms of spoken word. Priya Dandamudi they/them/theirs Priya is a freshman, studying Computer Science at the University of Michigan. They are a part of the leadership board of YKB and have performed spoken word through its Fall Showcase, which aims to provide a platform for all women of color. Priya was interested in being involved with Bloom through their speech work because of its strong stance against sexual assault and its promotion of challenging the perpetuated stigma against victims in the South Asian community. They hope to challenge people in their community to have meaningful discussions about controversial issues without the fear of rejection. Zoha Bharwani she/her/hers Zoha is a junior pursuing a dual degree in Mathematics of Finance and Risk Management and Theatre Performance with a concentration in Directing. She would like to thank Anurima for the opportunity to be involved with this important project. She would also like to take a second to recognize the brave women in her community who won't let their voices be silenced. SAAN Central Planning Team Sneha Rathi, Sinduja Kilaru, Subhan Chaudry, Saveri Nandigama, Amar Nigam, Usha Yeruva, Rahul Kak, Baani Jain, Shrinali Patel, Sumrah Jilani, Nikhil Kalra, Izan Mubarak, Sania Farooq, Anurima Kumar, Amara Shaikh, Sanghamithra Kalimi, Maheen Khan, Armind Chahal, Nikita Bazaj Michigan Sahana Board Kiki Bayen, Pranav Vijay, Subarna Bhattacharya, Sanika Chitre, Sanjeev Raja, Kavya Pratapa, Anjani Raja
HOW TO GET INVOLVED: NEXT STEPS University of Michigan Campus Climate Survey Results: 46% of students who had at least one unwanted sexual experience told someone else, most often, a friend or a roommate. Only 3.6% of students reported the incident to an official University resource or law enforcement. If you are unsure about the best way to react to a disclosure, it’s helpful to remember to listen, believe, support, refer, and connect. If you would like to get involved in helping spread dialogue and education about sexual assault, please keep these resources in mind as you take your next steps. VOLUNTEERING On Campus SAPAC | https://sapac.umich.edu/general-volunteer-information SAPAC Volunteer Training provides pertinent information for students to be effective in their role as SAPAC volunteers. Student volunteers will understand the framework for how their role as a volunteer fit into the larger University comprehensive plan to prevent sexual violence. Off Campus SafeHouse Center | https://www.safehousecenter.org/volunteer-information/ SafeHouse Center has two large umbrella groups of volunteer opportunities: Direct Services and Non-Direct Services. All of these programs involve crisis intervention work. Ozone House | http://ozonehouse.org/support-us/volunteer/ On the frontlines, volunteer crisis counselors receive crisis intervention training and answer over 2200 calls each year from youth in crisis on the crisis line, available 24/7, 365 days a year. DONATE Local Vista Maria | https://www.vistamaria.org/donate/ Vista Maria’s specialized intensive residential treatment programs for adolescent girls are operated from a 37-acre Dearborn Heights campus. All programs have access to support services including a health clinic, an on-site junior and senior high school operated by the Clara B. Ford Academy, a large cafeteria, recreational facilities, meeting rooms, a chapel, and administrative offices. Help them provide healing and hope to hundreds of women and children who have suffered the effects of abuse, neglect and trauma. SafeHouse Center | http://www.safehousecenter.org/donor-information/ways-you-can-help/ Non-Local National Sexual Violence Resource Center | https://www.nsvrc.org/donate Race, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) | https://donate.rainn.org No More | https://donate.nomore.org
RESOURCES OFF CAMPUS Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program at the ACCESS Community Health and Research Center provides services and assistance to victims of crime. The program serves the southeast Michigan community, including Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. The program helps clients with mental health recovery, healing and justice by providing counseling, psychiatric services, case management and legal advocacy. VOCA serves victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual abuse, rape, hate crimes, discrimination, robbery, assault, theft, burglary and survivors of homicide. Hussien Saleh, VOCA Supervisor hsaleh@accesscommunity.org Nagham Dabaja, Clinician ndabaja@accesscommunity.org Arwa Abduljabbar, Therapist Aabduljabbar@accesscommunity.org CRISIS HOTLINES SafeHouse Center 24-Hour Crisis Line: 734-995-5444 | safehousecenter.org SafeHouse Center provides support for those impacted by domestic violence or sexual assault. SafeHouse provides free and confidential services for any person victimized that lives or works in Washtenaw County. Our services include emergency shelter for those in danger of being hurt or killed, counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, and especially, hope. RAINN Hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673) RAINN hotline will connect you with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. When you call the number, you will be routed to a local RAINN affiliate organization based on the first 6-digits of your phone number. Cell phone callers have the option to enter the ZIP code of their current location to more accurately locate the nearest sexual assault service provider.
Thank you to: Our gurus who have guided us to where we are now. Smt. Roopa Shyamasundara Smt. Devika Raghavan Smt. Chaula Thacker Enakshi Sinha Sri. Jay Shankar Balan Guru Reshma Buch Pandit Shantanu Bhattacharyya Guru Ashoka Rao Shri. Madurai R. Sundar Professor Stephen Rush The Video Studio Team, for helping us utilize the space to its full potential and providing us with this opportunity: Robert Newcomb Jacques Mersereau Kyle Snyder Patterson McKinney Stephen Eberle David Greenspan Ryan Wilcox GroundWorks Daring Dances Student Fellowship and coordinator Miryam Johnson: The Daring Dances Student Fellowship is intended to support students or student organizations at the University of Michigan interested in both dance and social justice. Both financial support and community-based mentorship are offered for performance-based student projects and/or professional development. SAPAC and Danielle Edwards Asiyan Textiles for Bharatanatyam and Odissi costumes. Ruchi Wankhede for mahendi. Sejal Lal SAAN Marketing Team (Baani Jain, Shrinali Patel, Sumrah Jilani) SAAN Logistics Team (Subhan Chaudry, Saveri Nandigama) Print-Tech for booklets. You, for standing in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault.
