Our Approach – Sinhayana Foundation

How Change Happens

Teach excellent dance. Build agency. Protect dignity.

We believe that when children practise a demanding art form regularly, in a safe space, with skilled adults who take them seriously, they build abilities that matter beyond the studio. This page sets out what we do, what we expect to change, and what we are still finding out.

The Gap We Work On

Children in underserved urban communities are rarely offered sustained, high-quality arts training. Where it exists, it is usually paid, irregular or a one-off event. Talent and interest are common; access is not.

What We Do

Free, regular dance classes in community spaces, two to three times a week.
Classes led by qualified, paid dance educators, with one consistent lead instructor for each group.
A structured studio method: learners watch, mark and then dance full out; mistakes are treated as information; learners name what they notice and choose what to try next.
Regular chances to share and perform, from studio sharings to public stages.
Clear child-safety standards for every session. Read about safeguarding

Free means no fee is charged. It does not mean attendance, punctuality, effort or conduct are optional.

The Conditions We Build

Our experience over ten years points to five conditions that matter:

Emotional safety: a space where children can try, fail and return without humiliation.
Meaning: work that children care about and recognise as their own.
Repeated practice: steady, demanding practice over months, not one-off workshops.
Recognition: being seen by teachers, peers, families and audiences.
Agency: real choices, and responsibility for them.

What We Look For in the Studio

We observe growth in six areas, against defined indicators, on a four-level scale.

Craft: safe use of the body; rhythm and memory; working in space and as an ensemble.

Agency: taking part safely and coming back after a setback; using one’s voice and respecting boundaries; collaboration and reliability.

Longer-Term Changes We Hope to Contribute To

Confidence and self-belief that show up outside the studio.
Steadier participation in learning and school.
Stronger relationships with peers and trusted adults.
For learners who choose it, routes into advanced training, teaching and creative work. Our livelihoods pathway is in development.

These are hypotheses, not results. Many things shape a child’s life, so we speak of contribution, not attribution.

What Has to Hold True

Children attend regularly, and their families support it.
Skilled instructors stay with the same groups over time.
Safe, free spaces remain available in each community.
Skills built in the studio carry into other parts of life. This does not happen automatically, which is why we are studying it.

How We Are Testing This

For ten years we recorded what we did and what we saw, but not how change happened. We are now preparing a study in Delhi with current and former learners. It will explore how participants describe change, non-change and the conditions they associate with each. What we learn will shape our curriculum.

Participants, and any research partners, will see the findings before anyone else; we will then publish a summary.

What We Do Not Claim

We are dance educators, not therapists, and our classes are not therapy. Dance Out of Poverty is the name of our programme, not a promise that dance alone lifts a family out of poverty. Our approach is evidence-informed: it draws on research and on our own practice, and we say clearly where the evidence is still thin.

Know more about DOOP