rhythms for restoration:

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building community for climate action.

Rhythms for Restoration is a Bharatanatyam-based performance that uses storytelling and movement to explore humanity’s relationship with the natural world and the urgent need for meaningful climate action. By highlighting issues like pollution, biodiversity loss and deforestation, we hope to evoke emotion and drive within our audiences to make a change and speak up against environmental destruction.

Bharatanatyam is an ancient Indian dance composed of movement, rhythm, lyrical expression, and emotion. This expressive artform is used to convey stories of Indian folklore, mythology and encapsulate the character of various hindu figures and gods.

meet the artists

Anika's Arangetram

anika vasani

Artist

Anika Vasani is a Senior at Newark Academy in Livingston, NJ. She is interested in environmental studies and public health, and is an EMT.

Anika's Arangetram

Artist

sanjukta srinivasan

Sanjukta is a Senior at Newark Academy in Livingston, NJ. She has been learning Bharatanatyam, South Indian classical dance, for over a decade, and she is interested in public health as well as environmental studies.

Chai for change

‘chai for change’ events are facilitated listening sessions to understand the environmental issues that resonate with our communities.

Our goal is to raise awareness, engage in meaningful conversation, and explore the nuances of climate justice. What better way to do this than whilst sharing Chai and snacks!

This engagement will help inform the storytelling and themes of ‘rhythms for restoration’.

Throughout this 1-2 hour discussion, we dive into what the environment means to us and how that connects to our cultures, values, and beliefs. You have the opportunity to share your perspectives and reflect on how environmental issues intersect within your communities.

❋ Engaging Facilitation

Discussion is designed to be open and collaborative, encouraging participants to ask questions and engage with a wide range of perspectives on environmental issues.

Connection is a core part of the process. You’ll learn just as much from the group as from the content itself.

❋ Collaborative Energy

Our events prioritize comfort, safety, and respect—so you can show up as you are and fully engage in the process.

We invite you to share, connect with the environment and your community - and if course, enjoy Chai and Snacks!

❋ A Supportive Space

04 | 12 | 2026‍ ‍ Livingston, NJ

08 | 07 | 2026 Chennai, India

TBD | 2026 Montclair, NJ

More New Jersey Dates to come. Check back soon

chai for change: Livingston, nj

We are so excited to share the results of our first ever Chai for Change discussion!

Hosted on April 12th, 2026 in Livingston NJ, this event brought together people from all around the state, varying age groups, and a wide range of perspectives. Together, we discussed the importance of youth advocacy and the power of movement within our communities. More importantly, we delved into how we drive change on a broad and individual level, touching on what factors influence involvement and how we perceive progress.

There were many unique thoughts and questions that were brought up in this conversation:

How do you create drive?
Where is the line between productive and destructive group movement?
How can we address conflict and draw people in?
What is progress and how may culture define it?

It was wonderful to see individuals in this discussion join together to both support and refute each other's opinions, creating a stimulating and energetic conversation that not only empowered our voices, but led us to acknowledge the many nuances of environmental advocacy and justice.

ACtions

Small actions matter. Together we can have impact and influence change in our communities and beyond.

Start small: Be a role model! Reduce, Refuse & Reuse. We can choose to use less! Turn off lights, take a shorter shower, compost and reduce food waste, carpool, take public transit, walk & bike.
Look at the public library, community & faith centers, local newspapers and online news outlets to see if there are any environment-based community service events and help out with environmental stewardship.
Share your knowledge with friends and family so you can motivate them to take their own small steps. Together we can reduce what we consume, connect & care for the earth and share what we learn in support of a healthy community and a healthy planet.