LUBBOCK, Texas -
"Our whole concept was to bring art and community together for a good cause," said Indian-American dancer Yashvi Shashtri, a co-founder of the Indriva School of Dance.
The dance school joined with Ballet Lubbock Saturday night to put on the "Shakti" production and auction at the Lubbock-Cooper Performing Arts Center, with the theme of "embracing empowerment." Shashtri and her partner, Anisha Ogale, said it was intended to raise awareness of the prevalence of human trafficking, as well as reflect on the women's heritage.
"We heard for a while that human trafficking was a huge issue, especially here in West Texas," Ogale said, "and we've always grown up learning about how the situation of women in India..." she paused, "... isn't the best. So we wanted to do something that showcased what our dance school stands for."
Ogale and Shashtri said the money will be divided in half between organizations that provide assistance to victims of trafficking: Sanlaap North America, which sends the money to India; and OneVoiceHome, a group starting up in Lubbock.
