ABOUT US

The society, ‘Association for Learning Performing Arts and Normative Action’ is registered with the Registrar of Societies, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi under the Societies Registration Act 1860.

The mission of the society is promotion of performing arts and facilitating holistic human development. The society essays the cause of spreading awareness among today’s youth about rich cultural heritage of India. Through various art forms like music and dance and other courses painting, tabla playing etc., the society endeavours to evolve complete individuals proud of their heritage. The emphasis is on our inclusive and composite heritage.

To meet these objectives the society aims to:

Provide a forum for issues a related to learning of performing arts and Normative action.
 
  Act as an institution for providing training in various aspects of performing arts and normative action.
  Function as an organization, which will undertake programmes and coordinate studies on performing arts & holistic human development issues.
  Organise seminars, workshops, conferences and performance of different art forms.
  Take up programmes for promotion and preservation of cultural heritage of India.
  Develop socio-cultural, intellectual, moral, ethical, educational, artistic and spiritual abilities of youth.
   
 

The society has also pledged to work on many socially relevant issues through research and analysis, documentation, dissemination, building human and intellectual capital and assisting policy formulation and advice.

It functions as a not-for-profit voluntary agency, which undertakes projects for improving and securing the quality of life of people and creates awareness for sustainability.

   
Activities of the Society  

         The society has been organizing major events during the last several years and students of Gurus associated with the society have performed at national events in different States of the country.

The Gurus associated with the Society run regular classes on dance (Odissi, Western, Folk), music (singing), casio playing, tabla, harmonium, clay-modelling, sculpture, candle-making etc. for residents of East Delhi living in Jagriti Niketan, Vivek Vihar, Anand Vihar, Yojana Vihar, Shrestha Vihar etc. and also for adjoining areas of Ghaziabad such as Chander Nagar, Surya Nagar, Ramprastha, Kaushambi and Brij Vihar.  The Society is also involved in teaching of Odissi dance to special gifted (mentally and physically challenged) persons.

 
During 2003-05, the society organized six events.  The first one was on April 25, 2004 in the Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi where Guru Alpana Nayak presented - an Odissi recital. Shri K. Jayakumar, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India was the Chief Guest.

The second one was on May 7, 2004 in the L.T.G. Auditorium, New Delhi, where the students of the Gurus associated with our Society presented a cultural evening titled, INDRADHANUSH 2004.  The highlight of the evening was the dance item performed by specially gifted students (mentally challenged).  Many dignitaries including Mr. N.P. Tripathy, IRS, DG Income Tax, New Delhi, Dr Satbir Silas Bedi, IAS, Government of NCT of Delhi and Guru Hare Krishna Behera as Chief Guest, President and Guest of Honour respectively attended the event.

Our special students performed at the International Youth Day celebrated at the India International Centre,
New Delhi, on 11 August 2004and got standing ovation from the audience. 

The students of our Gurus also performed on the occasion of Janmastami at Ghaziabad and got great appreciation. 

The fifth event of ALPANA was on November 16, 2004 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, where Guru Alpana Nayak presented an evening of Odissi dance. Mr Wajahat Habibullah, IAS, Secretary Textiles, Government of
India was the Chief Guest and Miss S. Aparna, IAS, Ministry of Urban Development, Govt of India was the Guest of Honour.

The sixth event was at Dehradun in Uttaranchal state where the students of Guru Alpana Nayak performed in the “Virasat Festival” jointly organized by REACH, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Textiles, ONGC etc.

To our credit, Miss Ayushi and Miss Akriti Tyagi two talented disciples of Guru  Smt. Alpana Nayak participated in the All-Delhi Classical Dance Competition organized by MTNL at Talkatora Indoor Stadium in November 2004. Miss Ayushi bagged the first prize.

During 2005-06, the society organized six events.  The first one was in May, 2005 in the SAI International Auditorium, Lodi Estate, New Delhi where the students of the gurus associated with the training institutions of the society presented a cultural evening titled, INDRADHANUSH 2005.  In this programme special gifted students also performed alongside normal children to thunderous applause of the audience. The programme was inaugurated by Ms Sushma Chaudhary, IAS, Special Advisor (of the rank of Secretary to Government of India), Planning Commission of India and presided over by Padmashri Madhavi Mudgal, Principal, Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi.

Our students performed at three national level performing arts events organized in the national capital and got standing ovation from the audience.  These events were widely covered by print and electronic media. 

The fifth event of ALPANA was in November 2005 at the Poorva Sanskritik Kendra, Delhi, where Guru Alpana Nayak presented an evening of Odissi dance. Smt Jayanti Pattanayak, former Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, was the Chief Guest and Mrs Anuradha Makwana Mall, IAS, Ministry of HRD, Government of India was the Guest of Honour.

The sixth event was at India International Centre, New Delhi on 30 December 2005 where Guru Alpana Nayak presented an evening of Odissi. Prominent persons among the audience were Judges, MPs, journalists, bureaucrats, and art lovers. The Lt Governor, Delhi Shri B.L. Joshi was the Chief Guest and appreciated the dance of Alpana.

To our credit, all the students of Gurus associated with our organization won laurels in the All-India professional Classical Dance and Music examinations conducted by the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Maharashtra.

Our students participated in the All-Delhi Classical Dance Competition organized by MTNL in November 2005 and won top prizes.

Our students also participated in the All-Delhi Classical Dance Competition organized by MTNL in November 2006 and won top prizes.

During 2006-07, the organization organized many events. Guru Alpana Nayak and her students performed in presence of the Hon’ble President of India in the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 18 April 2006. On May 14 the society organized INDRADHANUSH 2006 where about 78 students of different gurus associated with the society presented an evening of dance and music. Shri A.K. Rath, IAS, Addl Secretary & Financial Adviser Ministries of Steel, Biotechnology and Ocean Development, Government of India was the Chief Guest. Shri G. S. Patnaik, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Lt. Governor of Delhi was the President of the function and Prof. (Dr.) Rajalaxmi Rath, Senior Fellow at the Nehru Museum & Library was the Guest of Honour. The Odissi Dance Troupe of the society performed to thunderous applause of the audience at the VIRASAT Festival 2006, Dehradun in October 2006.

On November 12, 2006 the society organized SAMBHAV 2006, an event of classical dance and music exclusively put up by the mentally challenged artists trained by Guru Alpana. Shri BL Joshi, HE the Lt Governor of Delhi was the Chief Guest. Shri SK Roongta, CMD, SAIL presided over the event while Shri V Ramamurthy, CEO, HCL Infosystems was the Guest of Honour.

In December 2006 Guru Alpana Nayak presented Odissi at India Habitat Centre as part of HCL Series. Shri P.P. Srivastava, Hon’ble Member (MoS Rank), NEC was the Chief Guest.

During 2007-08, Guru Alpana Nayak presented Odissi evenings at Port Blair, Mahabalipuram, Nungambakkam, Chamba, New Delhi, Ladakh etc. She also performed at the 3rd International Odissi Dance Festival 2007. The society presented INDRADHANUSH 2007 at PSK, Delhi. Shri Rajesh Verma, IAS, Financial Advisor & JS Govt. of India was the Chief Guest while Shri I. C. P. Keshri, IAS, Ministry of Commerce, GoI presided. Ms. Suchitra Dorai, IFS, Ministry of External Affairs and Mr Suyash Praksh, IAS, Secretary to Govt of NCT Delhi were the Guests of Honour. In October-November 2007 our students won First and Second prizes in the All Delhi Classical Dance Open Competition organized by MTNL Perfect Health Mela.

In November 2007, on the eve of Children’s Day, A.L.P.A.N.A. organized another important event called SAMBHAV 2007 at India International Centre, New Delhi. The event consisted of two parts. A seminar on 'Specially Gifted Persons and the Performing Arts' was held in the morning, and the afternoon was devoted to performances. The performances were by special children from ALPANA, Educatum Foundation, Jeevan Jyoti Home of the Missionaries of Charity (all from Delhi), and Nityananda troupe from Orissa. In the morning session Shri P.P. Shrivastav, Hon’ble Member (Union Minister of State rank), North East Council was the Chief Guest and Shri Jagadananda Panda, IAS, Jt. Secretary to Govt. of India, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs presided over the session. Ms. Leela Venkatraman, Dance Critic and Author, Ms. Shruti, Musician and Educationist, Ms. Sharon Lowen, Odissi Exponent, presented their papers in the first technical session which was chaired by Shri P.L. Verma, Member Secretary, IRCEN, New Delhi. Ms. Tripura Kashyap, Dancer Choreographer and Therapist, and Ms. Kanak Sudhakar, Choreographer and Dance Therapist, presented lecture demonstration in the second technical session which was chaired by Kalaimamani Dr. S. Natarajan, Secretary, Nungambakkam Cultural Society, Chennai. Shri Tejender Khanna, HE the Lt Governor of Delhi was the Chief Guest of the Cultural Event in the afternoon, which was presided by Shri R.S. Pandey, IAS, Secretary to Govt. of India, Ministry of Steel.

In January 2008 one of our senior disciples Ms. Ayushi Nayak performed Odissi dance in Mahabalipuram Dance Festival 2008, Brahmagaan Sabha, Chennai and Nungambakkam Cultural Academy, Chennai along with Guru Smt. Alpana Nayak.

To our credit, all the students of Gurus associated with our organization won laurels in the All-India professional Classical Dance and Music examinations conducted by the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Maharashtra in Nov-Dec 2007. 95% of our students passed in 1st Division.

In May 2008, the society presented INDRADHANUSH 2008 at Poorva Sanskritik Kendra, Delhi to a packed auditorium of art aficionados, journalists and art critics. Dr SD Pradhan, former Secretary to Government of India in the Prime Minister’s Office was the President of the event. Padmashree Guru Ranjana Gauhar was the Chief Guest. Shri Shekhar Vaishnavi, Secretary, Sahitya Kala Parishad, Govt of NCT Delhi was the Guest of Honour. In October 2008 our students performed in MTNL Health Mela, New Delhi and won top honours.

Kumari Ayushi, a disciple of Guru Alpana was awarded the prestigious National Cultural Talent Search Scholarship 2008 in Odissi Dance by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

In November 2008, the Society organized SAMBHAV 2008, an international event for and by physically and mentally challenged persons.

The event consisted of two parts. There was an international seminar in the morning, and performances by the specially gifted artists from different organizations in the evening. The seminar consisted of two technical sessions: the first one had "Dance, Movement and Theatre as Therapies" as its theme, and the second one was based on "Challenges and Possibilities: Our Experiences".

Other organizations which participated in the event were Jeevan Jyoti Home of the Missionaries of Charity (Delhi, India), Educatum Foundation (East Delhi, India), Sunera Foundation (Colombo, Sri Lanka), National Federation for the Disabled (Kathmandu, Nepal), “Sahaya” Red Cross Centre (Orissa, India), DrakTsho Vocational Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities (Thimpu, Bhutan), and National Forum of Organizations Working with the Disabled (Dhaka, Bangaldesh).

The people who made presentations at the seminar were Ms. Sunethra Bandarnaike (Sri Lanka), Dr. Ambika Kameshwar (Chennai, India), Mr. S.K. Jha (Gujarat, India), Ms. Shila Thapa (Nepal), Guru Syed Salalludin Pasha (Delhi,India), Mr. Chorten Dorji (Bhutan) and Mr. Shamsul Arefin (Bangladesh).

The Chief Guest for the inaugural ceremony was Ms. Indira Jaising, eminent jurist, lawyer and human rights activist. Dr. Arvind Gupta, IFS, Lal Bahadur Shastri Chair, IDSA, Delhi who presided over the session, and Mr. Bhagaban Shankar, IAS, Director, North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, was the distinguished guest of the session.

Mr. Oscar Fernandes (Minister of Labour, Govt. of India), was the Chief Guest, for the evening programme and Mr. Wajahat Habibullah (Chief Information Commissioner, India), Mrs. Leela Ponappa (Deputy National Security Adviser, India and Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat), Sister Sherin (Missionaries of Charity, Northern Community, India), Mr. C.R. Jayasinghe (the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India), Mr. Durgesh Man Singh (the Ambassador of Nepal to India) and Mr. Liaquat Ali Choudhury (the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India) were the distinguished guests. After the performances all the performers received a standing ovation from the audience.

In February 2009, our organization presented a cultural evening at Surajkund Mela. INDRADHANUSH 2009 was celebrated at PSK, New Delhi in May 2009. At Indradhanush 2009, Shri P. Phunsog, IAS (Retd), Chairman PESB and Hon’ble Nasib Singh, MLA East Delhi were Chief Guest and Distinguished Guest respectively.

Our student Miss Vasudha Kohli, a disciple of Guru Alpana, bagged the prestigious Ministry of HRD (CCRT) National Cultural Talent Scholarship for 2009.

In November 2009, we celebrated the biggest event so far, in seven years of our working, SAMBHAV 2009, a two-day-long event at three different venues (India International Centre, FICCI Auditorium and India Habitat Centre) in New Delhi where challenged artists from ten countries participated.

Our Students won First and Second Prizes in MTNL Mela on NCR level competition in October 2009. Our student also won top prize in National DAV Dance Competition at Dehra Dun in October 2009.

The Embassy of Nepal in India (BP Koirala India Nepal Foundation) invited our organization to work towards promotion of India-Nepal people to people contact on promotion of culture and heritage. Our organization organized HIMSAGAR FESTIVAL in collaboration with the Embassy of Nepal at Kamani Auditorium in November 2009.

In December 2009, Guru Smt Alpana Nayak performed Odissi appreciated by an enthralled audience at Nungambakkam Arts Festival (in the prestigious Narada Brahmagana Sabha).

In January 2010, our organization received invitation from the Embassy of the Russian Federation to explore the possibility of working in the area of disability and performing arts in collaboration with NGOs based in Russia.

Our student Miss Sonakshi Jain bagged First position in the singing competition organized by Saraswati Sangeet Kala Kendra, Surya Nagar,
Ghaziabad. She also bagged Third position in the singing competition organized by Vivekananda School, Anand Vihar, New Delhi.

In July 2010, we celebrated INDRADHANUSH 2010 at Poorva Sanskritik Kendra (PSK), New Delhi where our special children performed classical as well as folk dance and music along with other children. Noted Odissi Danseuse Smt. Geeta Mahalik presided over the function. Shri Rakesh Jain, Financial Advisor, Ministry of Power, Government of India was the Chief Guest and Ms. Roopa Srinivasan, Director, Ministry of culture, Government of India was the Guest of Honour of the event.

 
 
 
 
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