People of all backgrounds enjoyed Indian
arts, culture and cuisine at the Diversity Fair on Aug. 12 at the
Atlanta VA Medical Center on Clairmont Road. The fair was presented by
The Asian American Pacific Islander Committee with a focus on the
Indian sub-continent.
The EEO Diversity Board worked tirelessly for weeks to put together
a booth with display boards on Indian dance, specifically
Bharatanatyam.
The fair, aiming to raise awareness about India among the veterans
and the VA staff, lasted more than five hours and featured dance,
music, poetry, educational information, exhibits, and Indian sweets and
snacks.
By reaching out and educating the veterans and the staff, the VA
Center hopes to provide equal opportunity to the various ethnic groups
in Georgia.
To illustrate the depth of Indian arts, the Diversity Board invited
Preeti Shah, a local Bharatanatyam dancer, to speak about Indian dance,
music and culture. Preeti’s academy, The Narasimha Academy of Arts, was
commissioned to perform a repertoire that emphasized the story-telling
and rhythmic aspects of Bharatanatyam.
Supriya Shridharan and Kritika Subramanian, senior students from
the dance school, performed for the 150-plus attendees, including war
veterans, doctors, nurses and administrative staff from the VA Center.
Other committees, including Native American, Black Employment,
Hispanic Employment and Minority Veterans, also had booths and displays.