Tara is a Junior at Westlake High who is passionate about dance and its impact on teen health and mind. She has a decade of cross-cultural dance performances from Bharatanatyam to multiple Western dance forms. Based on her lived experiences, Tara delivered a workshop called Jive to Thrive on dance and mental health at 2025 SXSW EDU and created JivetoThrive.com, a self-help app that suggests fun activities to improve mental health. Tara is the author of For I am Me and I am Strong (a HarperCollins publication) and the principal subject of PBS documentary, CenterStage, both explore themes of resilience, self-identity, and embracing cultural diversity. She has delivered workshops on dance and mental health with Wonderful India and Leap of Joy. An enthusiastic hiker, Tara summited Kilimanjaro at 13 and Everest Base Camp at 15.
