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Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) has announced its annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival, September 22-26, 2021 at 8:30 P.M. ET.

Now in its 14th year, the Erasing Borders Dance Festival will be all-virtual in its presentation. Ten artists trained in Indian dance forms from across the world will be brought together in a virtual borderless festival.

The dance festival is one among Indo-American Arts Council’s other flagship events featuring music, film, and literature, all dedicated to furthering the knowledge and living practices of the arts of the Indian sub-continent.

The Erasing Borders Dance Festival of the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) invites dancers, dance companies and choreographers across the world to present works of artistic excellence sharing movement, heritage, and inspiration from India. The festival is curated for the New York City public and can now be viewed globally in its virtual edition.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago.

St. Jude physician assistant, cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux launches into space, Netflix releases documentary on Inspiration4, auctions planned, communities everywhere team up for virtual St. Jude Walk/Run,60+ celebrities lend support on social media.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, witness how the sky is no limit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®. St. Jude physician assistant and pediatric cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux will launch into space on the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit called Inspiration4 on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Communities, celebrities and influencers everywhere will also team up for virtualSt. Jude Walk/Run on Sept. 25.

We talk to Sanjay Gowda, President, India Association of Greater Boston about the India Day Event – India’s Independence Day Celebrations. The association itself was founded in 1962 and Sanjay ji has been an active member for the past many years, fulfilling various responsibilities in many capacities, over these years.

Sanjay Gowda is a senior technology professional, currently working for Verizon. He lives in Littleton with his wife and two daughters. He has been actively involved in the community and also held various roles at local organizations. He loves to read, cook, travel and volunteer.

The India day event will have a variety of cultural performances and a concert by talented choreographers, performers, and artists from the New England region. There will be local exhibitors and vendors from various corners of our community with your favorite shopping bazaar.

For more details about the venue, the timings and much more, do join in the conversation, this Saturday, 14th August, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, Mera Sangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Dr. Radhika Chopra Born and brought up in Jammu, Radhika started learning music at a very young age from Pt. J.R.Sharma and started performing on stage and for All India Radio Jammu. Dr. Radhika Chopra, an extremely talented and a versatile artiste, predominantly features as a rare performer who continues to excel and please the connoisseur with her traditional puritan raga based gayaki.

Dr. Chopra’s accomplishments have been recognized by the highest authorities in the field of Indian music, having been empanelled by the ICCR to perform in foreign countries to promote classical Indian music and commissioned by the Indian Ministry of Culture to commemorate legendary figures such as Ghalib, Kundan Lal Saigal, et al. Radhika Chopra has also performed at the ‘Jahan-E-Khusrau’ Sufi Festival to mark the death anniversary of Hazrat Amir Khusrau.

Save the dates for Dr. Chopra’s performance at the IAAC Freedom Concert 2021, this Saturday, August 14th 8:30 pm. And, before that, do tune -in for a wonderful conversation with her, this Friday, 13th August, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, Mera Sangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Yogita Miharia, IAGB Director, talks to us in detail about the various events leading upto the India Day Event and about the Day too. She has been attending some of the “Flag hoisting ceremonies”, around the place she lives. What is the feeling – well, listen in to what she has to say.

Yogita is into a full time job and volunteers for IAGB. She is also a theatre artist. She loves to be with people, she says and so is really looking forward to the event.

So, Yogita gives us a peep into all that would be there that day. Besides the cultural events and the music, the various food stalls – people can look forward to the various “stalls” – and shop to their hearts content!

So much more to know about the India Day Event – Catch the conversation for sure, this Thursday, 12th August, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, Mera Sangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Tanu Basu has been serving as an active executive director for IAGB (India Association of Greater Boston) for well over a decade. Besides this, she is also an active part of the Executive boards of 2 elite organizations as a founder member and director of IAB (Indian Americans for Burlington) for over five years, and is currently serving as the Secretary of Saheli (dedicated to supporting South Asian women and families in Massachusetts).

Tanu also volunteers in homeless shelters, retirement homes, hospice facilities and Emergency Departments of multiple hospitals in the Greater Boston area.

Tanu was extensively involved in Planning, coordinating, and implementing the Historic, “first time ever” Indian Flag Raising/Hoisting in over 50 towns in MA & New England area, in years 2020 & 2021, to recognize and commemorate India’s Independence Day. She created India Day Citations & Proclamations for towns & cities in MA as part of the Flag Hoisting ceremony. Her passion for dance and storytelling motivated her to choreograph several dance dramas and Yoga dance fusions.

Do tune-in for the conversation, Tuesday, 10th August, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, Mera Sangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Dr. Manisha Juthani, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Yale School of Medicine has been nominated as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health in the US. A proud moment for all of us!!

Dr. Manisha pursued her undergraduate training from the University of Pennsylvania and attended Cornell University Medical College. She completed her residency training from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Campus. She was a chief resident at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

It was in 2002 that Dr. Manisha arrived at the Yale School of Medicine in for infectious diseases fellowship training and in 2006, she joined the faculty full-time. In 2012, she took on the role of infectious diseases fellowship program director .

She loves to dance and sing and has a few more hobbies. She takes us through her new role, to Covid and other health issues, then back to college days, India and so much more – You will love the conversation and love knowing Dr. Manisha Juthani, the person as she prepares herself for her new role – Incase you missed it yesterday, catch the conversation for sure, today, 8th August, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, MeraSangeet Gold at 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Lata Rao is the Secretary of IAGB. The current term Is her fourth, on the IAGB Executive Team. While she lends her helping hand In every activity organized By IAGB, she takes lead on the two Mega Annual Cultural Events – The Republic Day and the India Day Celebrations.

Lata is a long time community leader in the New England region. She has also been a fierce advocate against Domestic Violence and has actively worked as a Volunteer with SAHELI for more than 15 years. She now advocates for this cause independently.

She has been an Entrepreneur for over 25 Years. In her own words, she says, ” I am an entrepreneur of sorts and deal in designer clothes”. She was also a flight attendant with Air India, way back in the 80s.

So, today, Lata tells us about her role with IAGB, about the venue of the India Day Event, about the various cultural activities, the dance band, as well as the food stalls. She also talks about the joy of flying, of her job which she feels was just tailor made for her, of staying in beautiful locations around the globe, and much more.

So yes, this conversation is a must listen one – catch it for sure, this Thursday, 5th August, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.