BY ALINA DESHPANDE
Director

The community is cordially invited to the 2025 Dances of India production, The Little Indian Mermaid, on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 4pm at the Duane Smith Auditorium, Los Alamos.

As always, our show will feature students of the The Family YMCA Kathak program, and guest dancers and actors from the the Los Alamos community . 

No tickets are required, but donations are welcomed. This year, all proceeds from the show will go to the Y Latin America’s program for youth mental heath, ELEVA!;

MENTAL HEALTH IN LATIN AMERICA

Half of mental disorders start before the age of 14, with approximately 1 in every 5 children, adolescents, and young individuals being diagnosed with a mental disorder (PAHO, 2020). In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are 230 million young people, making the population of 10 to 24-year-olds the largest in the continent´s history, and it is projected to decrease by 2030 (PAHO,2018). The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an even greater emphasis on the need to promote mental health issues and ensure access to mental health programs for all individuals, with a particular focus on youth.

The Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs launched ELEVA! (“Lift-Up!”). This preventive program empowers youth through peer-led interventions and uses a community-based approach to address these issues. It tackles topics such as self-care, emotional education, stress, depression, anxiety, among others, to improve mental health and prevent mental health problems. The purpose of “ELEVA!” is to contribute to improving mental health and preventing mental health issues among youth through awareness and destigmatization: “talking to know, knowing to understand, and understanding to prevent.”

VIDEO Eleva Mental Health in Honduras and Uruguay  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_lT4PjqTvg

Indian snacks will be available for sale during intermission.

Come enjoy a colorful showcase of various Indian classical and folk dances and celebrate the start of the arts and culture month in Los Alamos!