Three More Girls To Perform in London

Dear Friends,
We are happy to inform you that we have reached our goal! We successfully raised $5,000 to fly three more of our dancers to London to perform in the Sadler's Wells Connect Festival, 2012. 

We want to personally thank all of our supporters. Special mention goes to those who gave at the Energize Level and above through our Indiegogo campaign.

Calpana & Atul Arya , Michele Baer , Sally Davies, Shivonne Dubarry, Ashley Dutta, Micki Estuesta, Kate Huckabay,  Karen Kealoha, Jane Kelso, Hemanto Mukherjee, Ramona Mukherjee, Shreya Sanghani, Aditya Sarkar,  Samrat Sengupta.

Thank you for standing  against exploitation.

“The mission and continued achievements of Sohini and the Kolkata Sanved team are such an inspiration! To fight trafficking while also promoting empowerment with each step is an immeasurably worthy cause. I am sending much love and prayers that you exceed your goal, and ultimately bring this world closer to being free of violence and oppression. “ - Ramona Mukherjee

“As a total believer in the power of the arts for social change and the transformative work of Kolkata Sanved, I wholeheartedly support this effort and send my best to all the dancers and other people involved in this project.” - Michele Baer 

Connect Festival 2012- Body of Knowledge

In the middle of this starkness I suddenly found some color. That color was dance. Buoyed by the rhythm of dance, I have discovered a new language in my body. I have discovered the ineffable taste of life.

- Kolkata Sanved dancer

Tickets are now available to the Connect Festival, March 22nd and 23rd, which features Transforming Steps, the ambitious project raising awareness of human trafficking. 

Uniting Sadler's Wells Theater, the Jasmin Vardimon Company, Living Lens and Kolkata Sanved, Transforming Steps will bring international awareness to human trafficking in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London through innovative and unique choreography.  The Connect Festival will be held in the Lilian Baylis Studio, London. 

To learn more about the event and how to purchase tickets, click here.  

Watch Our Rehearsal with Mafalda Deville of the Jasmin Vardimon Company

Sneak peek footage of our week long intensive with choreographer Mafalda Deville. 

Watch as the Kolkata Sanved dancers prepare to perform at Sadler's Wells Theater in London this March. Video created by Rose McCausland of Living Lens.

Help us take three more of our dancers to London! Be a part of history and click here to donate now. 

Transforming Steps Needs to Raise $5,000

Help us reach our goal!

We have created a campaign to raise $5,000 to send three dancers from Kolkata Sanved to perform at Sadler's Wells Theater in March. Please Support us; no about is small or meaningless. Also, with any contribution, you will receive a fabulous perk. 


To view our Indiegogo Campaign click here! 


Kolkata Sanved has the great opportunity to make people aware of the increase in sex trafficking during major sporting events. We have been invited to perform at the Connect Festival in London! Please ask your friends to support our efforts by helping us to send three more dancers to perform at Sadler's Wells in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics this March. 


Thank you for your support. I know together we can create change. Be part of our campaign and stand against exploitation.

Kolkata Sanved Dancers Share about the Workshop with Mafalda Deville

Jhuma in Rehearsal (front)

At first I was afraid that I could not do such hard movements but when I tried it was not that difficult. In fact, I experienced power. On the last day I wondered if I could become a dancer like Mafalda; I am going to improve my movements.

- Jhuma, Kolkata Sanved DMT trainee

Amina (front) and Mafalda Deville

When the workshop started I was a little afraid but I overcame the fear and nervousness. The movements were bold and I like bold movements. I had done a little of this kind of dance before. The movements helped me feel that I am moving ahead with my life. I loved the workshop.

- Amina, Kolkata Sanved DMT trainee 

Mehraj in Rehearsal

I have done many workshops but this one was different. I was able to use my whole body and I was able to do several movements which I had never thought of doing. The best part was that there was no music for the entire workshop. In spite of that, we all danced with full energy. Initially, we were all upset about our bodies aching after rehearsal but, within a week, we realized that our bodies were prepared to handle whatever movements were given. Now it seems that all of the movements are quite easy. I will remember this workshop forever and I will try to apply several things I learned from Mafalda in in DMT classes.

- Mehraj, Kolkata Sanved Senior DMT Trainer 

Transforming Steps in the Hindustan Times

The Sanved dancers and choreographer Mafalda Deville of the Jasmin Vardimon Company are featured in the Hindustan Times today in the article, "Now, Global Impact." The article discusses how our performances and video will be used in both India and the UK to raise awareness of human trafficking in the run up to the 2012 Olympics. It also shares the story of how Kolkata Sanved, Living Lens and Sadler's Wells joined forces to create such a powerful platform for anti-trafficking advocacy.

Click here to find the article online at Hindustan Times. To find the article, scroll down and click on HT City then My City in the menu on the left.  

* We would like to note that while the article states that our awareness raising film will be "screened at various Olympic venues,"the film will in fact be shown at a variety of venues across London during the Olympics Games.

Filmmaking Workshop at Kolkata Sanved

By Rose McCausland of Living Lens, UK and Elspeth Duncan, Filmmaker, Trinidad 

We have been in India and working with Kolkata Sanved’s video team for a week and every day has been filled with new experiences and unexpected delights.  We’re leading a workshop for a group of nine girls from marginalized communities in Kolkata, together exploring the visual language of video. Just one part of the Kolkata Sanved and Living Lens partnership, Transforming Steps, this training gives these girls unique livelihood opportunities through film and video editing.  

During the first two days of the workshop we didn’t reach for the video cameras but instead discovered how each of us sees and hears the world around us. Focusing on our unique lens on the world, we started to see things we hadn’t noticed before including things about ourselves, each other and the city around us.  

When we picked up the video cameras the girls were eager to play, learn and deepen their visual vocabulary.  Their enthusiasm was matched by their ability to absorb concepts and new skills quickly.

At the start of the project many of the girls hadn’t met before, and now a week in, we are a close knit team.  We meet each day in the courtyard at the office of Kolkata Sanved and each day we share physical warm ups, creative activities, technical exercises, personal stories, jokes and playful relaxation.  It’s an intimate space of friendship that we'll miss when the workshop is over.

Today each of them shared their concepts for the final project of the workshops: their one minute films.  All of their hard work and listening has paid off – their ideas are original and creative.  We’re looking forward to jumping in and starting filming tomorrow.  

I feel sure that the audiences who see the girls’ work when it’s screened at Sadler’s Wells and other venues will be touched by the sensitivity, wisdom and playfulness that has moved both of us this week.