About Us
Who Are We:
We are a 501-3c nonprofit constructed from the vision of two high school students. To continue the “Colors of Mind” chain, we have introduced dance as a second alternative, which was established in 2023. It is our goal to enhance the awareness of mental health in children by providing them with easy access to dance as a therapeutic experience.
Our Story
Hi, my name is Avni Balakrishnan and I am a high school student, class of 2025. It’s a known fact that 2020 took a toll on quite a lot of us due to Covid. This toll was mentally, physically, and/or emotionally. Being a very extroverted person myself, I found it to be one of the hardest times of my life because I use social interaction as an escape from stress, sadness and/or feeling overwhelmed. Quarantine kept us from interacting, so I found myself feeling isolated to the point where I wasn’t even happy anymore. I knew I couldn’t let this set me back. Considering I had been a dancer for many years prior to COVID, I found the idea to start dancing in my room, hoping the effects would help me during the time being. I noticed my mood instantly changing for the better, releasing all the built up emotions I had. I aspire to use my journey to make a difference in others that have felt or are currently feeling the same things I had felt. I want those who feel as if they can’t verbally express themselves to now consider the act of physical expression. This led me to create the second course of the Colors of Mind nonprofit program. Throughout the process of creating this second branch, I introduced this to my friend and teammate Raven Norris, knowing that we both went through the realization that dance was a therapeutic relief to us. Having her be represented as Vice President, Raven and I now work as a team to provide dance as an additional element of Colors of Mind for children, in hopes of imprinting change that benefit our Austin community.
Info
Considering this organization is dedicated to reaching as many children as possible, we want to ensure that what we do isn’t “dance therapy sessions”, but rather theuraputical dance classes; which are more appealing and friendly to those who are seeking a distraction. Given that traditional therapy can be intimidating, our sessions would be more of a free and open space without the burden of feeling forced to address issues. Having said that, the dance movement therapist we are partnering with, Wakelyn Malitz who is licensed, board certified, and has her master’s degree in somatic counseling, ensures that she has the proper credentials. We want this to be a great experience for children and in order to do that, we chose the most credible to do so.
Where we are Located
Our dance/movement sessions will take place at the MUV Dance & Fitness studio at The Crossover sports complex.
1717 Scottsdale Dr Leander, TX 78641