May 103 min read

How are you celebrating AAPI?

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Theme for 2024:

"Advancing Leaders through Innovation"

What is AAPI?

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Awareness Month where America recognizes and honors the generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders who have enriched the country through their contributions. It highlights trail blazers in their respective fields and demonstrates how instrumental they are as a community in the success of the future.

How can you acknowledge and celebrate AAPI?

Celebrate AAPI Month through movement and interactive activities as a way to showcase the diverse cultures and traditions within the Asian American community. Here are some fun ideas on how you can use arts to celebrate the month:

Workshops and Classes

Celebrate with dance, music, and food workshops and classes that teach traditional or modern Asian dance to the community. These can be virtual or in-person sessions where participants can learn basic steps and movements of different cultural dances and put it into a routine. A great way to get the community involved is to invite instructors from diverse Asian backgrounds to lead the classes. With the popularity of Bollywood films and music, incorporating Indian dance forms would bring a fun flare! Meher Dance has had the pleasure of conducting interactive dance workshops to over 40 corporations in 2023 alone. This can also be done in the realm of musical instruments as well as cooking activities.

Collaborative Performances

Bring together dancers and musicians from various backgrounds to create collaborative performances that blend different forms of dance, movement and music. This can be a creative way to showcase the fusion of cultures and celebrate the diversity within the Asian American community. This could include dances like Bollywood, Bhangra, Odissi, Kathak, Filipino Tinikling, Japanese Bon Odori, Chinese Lion Dance, and many more. Along with movement, Meher Dance Company enjoys sharing the significance and history behind each of the regional Indian dance forms presented.

Team Building

Engage your colleagues in a fun and interactive team building activity through dance and arts. Dance and music allow people to let their inhibitions go and be more relaxed in a group setting. Plus it serves as a great ice breaker. Movement and partner work can allow your team to build trust amongst each other and feel more comfortable in a group dynamic. Meher Dance works with leadership teams and conference participants through traditional folk Indian dance forms like RAAS where one uses hand sticks in partner dancing.

Educational Workshops

Offer educational seminars that explore the rich history, significance, and cultural context of various Asian music and dance forms. This could include lectures, demonstrations, and interactive activities. This is a great opportunity to foster cultural understanding, appreciation and unity.

Social Media Campaigns

Launch a social media campaign to raise awareness about Asian Americans, art traditions as well as artists as a more approachable way to engage with the community. This is a great way to share videos, photos, and stories of Asian American dancers, musicians, groups, and artists using hashtags like #AsianAmericanArts, #AAPIHeritageMonth, #AAPI and #CelebrateCulture.

Meher Dance Company has had the pleasure of working with corporations, libraries and schools to celebrate AAPI month for over 14 years. We partner with many different Asian organizations to help bring your entity the right service for your vision. Let Meher connect your organization with any form of resource needed to help facilitate a successful Asian American Heritage program today!