COmmunity CONNECTIONS

Each ArtStream concert spotlights a local charity, community organization, initiative or group, to build and strengthen community bonds through art

Our March 22 performance spotlights SHAPE Community Center, a Houston Cultural Treasure , which seeks to improve the quality of life for people of African descent (all people) through programs and activities, with emphasis on Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work & Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.

On January 19, 2025, a historic fire took place at SHAPE Community Center’s Nia Becnel Family Center, located at 3815 Live Oak. While no one was physically harmed, the Nia Becnel Family Center, which has been a cherished community hub for over five decades, suffered significant damage. To the community, SHAPE has never been “just” a building. Walking through the charred remains of SHAPE’s story brings an overwhelming sense of loss.

We grieve with the SHAPE community for the generations of history that have been lost, for the shared experiences that have been lived in that space, and for the hindered progress that will impact some of SHAPE’s programs and activities. We ask that you donate to the SHAPE Restoration Fund, to help them overcome this devastating loss.

Solo Bharatanatyam by Kalaimamani Priya Murle

A leading Bharatanatyam artist with five decades of experience, Smt. Priya Murle is a performer, teacher, and choreographer renowned for her dedication to the art. Trained by the legendary Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy and Padma Bhushan awardee Vidwan Madurai N Krishnan, she holds an M.Phil in Philosophy specializing in Indian Aesthetics and Rasa Theory. She has choreographed numerous acclaimed thematic and group productions. She is the President of the Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) and the founder of Shri Silambam Academy of Fine Arts in Chennai, where her students are known for their exceptional performances. With Shreya Nagarajan Singh, she co-founded Parivartan, a research initiative offering grants for short-term research projects involving the arts. An A-graded Doordarshan artist, her numerous awards include the Yuva Kala Bharathi, Nadanamamani, Bharata Kala Bhushana, Rukmini Devi Arundale Award, and the prestigious Kalaimamani (Tamil Nadu State award, 2017). In 2024 alone, she has received the Award of Excellence for Bharatanatyam from Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr. Umayalpuram Sri.K. Sivaraman's Laya Lavanya Trust, the Kala Seva Bharati from Bharat Kalachar Chennai, and the Natana Rasamamani from Rasa-Arpita and Madras South Lions Charitable Trust.