About GIVE

If there was a story of humble and modest beginnings, it is the inception of Dance to GIVE. GIVE’s story all began when a 10-year-old Shakkthi visited a few orphanages in India and Sri Lanka with her family. She wanted to reach out and help those children in need. She felt inspired to do more for the orphaned children she met. Due to her passion for Indian Classical Dance, she conceived the notion to showcase her talents along with many other dancers and musicians from Melbourne and raise the much-needed funds for those orphans. Hence, the idea for an Annual Concert – Dance to GIVE was born. Children are naturally giving and caring when we can take their focus out of their own universe. Shakkthi’s parents encouraged and supported her mission to directly and positively impact the lives of impoverished children by “Dance(ing) to GIVE”. Dance to GIVE is flourishing with the undivided support of Shakkthi’s Bharathanatyam Guru – Meena Elankumaran after initial struggles. Now, Shakkthi and many young dancers and musicians from Melbourne can experience the joy of GIVING. And what could be a better lifelong lesson than that?


Dance to GIVE holds an annual musical and dance concert where young Classical Indian dancers and Carnatic musicians come together to give hope to the disabled and orphaned children in India and Sri Lanka. Instead of handing over their own money to charities of their choice, these talented young children felt it is imperative to make the Melbourne community aware of the dire plight of the destitute children in India and Sri Lanka. This way, everyone has an opportunity to contribute to bettering the lives of these orphaned children.


Dance to GIVE is a registered not-for-profit organization run by a group of passionate and committed volunteers and is supported by many members of the community and Indian Dance and Music Schools. Our generous volunteers and supporters cover the operating costs, so that 100% of your valuable donations are used to support the children in need through the orphanages, advocacy work and partnerships that are proven to benefit children and communities. We aspire to the highest levels of transparency and accountability in all that we do.

Our Mission

Our mission is unique and deeply layered. We create and collaborate to drive social, cultural and artistic vibrancy through Indian Fine Arts. To use cultural and artistic expression as a means of promoting community service and encouraging the spirit of GIVing.

Our Vision

We collaborate with dancers and musicians to build capacity, create opportunities and drive social change. Our vision is to build cultural harmony and well-being through contributing to a society that utilises its cultural richness to benefit humanity as a whole and uses artistic expression as a means of promoting social cohesion. In a culture that so often appears to reward materialism and greed, practicing kindness and serving the needy through Indian Classical Dance is a powerful way to pass on the values of empathy, compassion and social responsibility.


Dance to GIVE -

  • An organization engaged in uniting classical Indian dancers and musicians to produce diverse excellent programs; and
  • Intentionally focusses on “GIVing back” to the underprivileged, bring joy and create hope for the planet’s future by instilling the spirit of GIVing in the younger generation.