Team

Ms. Anushya is trained in Bollywood Dance, Kuthu Dance and Masala Bhangra. She is the senior-most instructor at SDA, having joined the organization in 2019. She moved to Jersey City in 2011 and since then has attended Latin, Hip Hop and Bollywood dance workshops in Newport. Ms. Anushya has also completed an intensive choreography workshop conducted by popular choreographer Melvin Louis in 2018. Ms. Anushya manages the business affairs at SDA Jersey City.  She also heads the resource management and business communications for brand SDA. As an integral part of SDA operations since 2021, Ms. Anushya is actively involved in and assists with SDA’s strategy and business development.

She was part of the dance troupe at St. Francis Degree College, Hyderabad (2001-2004) and performed in various intercollegiate competitions across the different states and national platforms in India. She has also participated in several dance workshops including hip hop, break dance and folk in Hyderabad. With a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune, Ms. Anushya has worked for several reputed publications in India. She is also a Certified Zentangle Teacher and Mandala Artist and takes art classes for children and adults in Jersey City and Manhattan. Her love for teaching dance begins at home with her two girls.

Ms. Suvarna is a trained Kathak Dancer, having earned her Prabhakar Degree (Lucknow Gharana) from one of India’s most prestigious dance schools - Prayag Sangeet Samiti (2011). She started her dancing journey at the age of 6 with Shiamak Davar Dance Company (Mumbai). At 8, she joined the Ghungroo Dance Academy (Dehradun) and started her Kathak journey. While there, she performed for several local and school events.

Ms. Suvarna was part of her dance society at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University from 2011-2013. She was also an Assistant Kathak Instructor at RS Dance Classes (Delhi) from 2014-2016 where she taught the basics of Kathak to children aged 8-13 years. Ms. Suvarna moved to NJ to pursue her MA degree from Columbia University in 2016. She has been a wedding choreographer since, teaching clients both in person and virtually. Currently, Ms. Suvarna is expanding her expertise by attending Bollywood, Semi-Classical and Bhakti Dance Classes in NYC. On the professional front, she is the Head of People at Meetup, the world’s largest community-building platform.

Mr. Chinmay has been dancing for the last 15 years and has performed several styles of dance like hip hop, locking, popping, house, shuffle as well as Bollywood. Chinmay is also well-versed in the folk dance form of Garba. He has sharpened his dance techniques through various workshops like Urban Dance Camp (2016) and Danceworx workshops (2015).
Mr. Chinmay was a core team member of the Dance Club at BITS Pilani (2010-2014) serving as its secretary for 3 years. The Dance BITS team competed in the National Level Street Dance and Choreography competitions. His performances were showcased in India’s Got Talent (2013) and he also participated in the iconic Indian Television Dance Show Boogie Woogie.

Mr. Chinmay co-founded a dance company called Masala Beats in 2017 focusing on content creation. During the pandemic in 2020, he curated dance lessons sharing his passion for dance, techniques and musicality of various urban dance styles. Mr. Chinmay completed his Master’s from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business in 2020 and works as a management professional in a financial services firm in NYC.

Ankita Khanna began her Bharatanatyam journey at the age of 3 under Guru Smt. Revathi Srinivasraghavan in Mumbai and continues to learn and teach under Guru Sahasra Sambamoorthi in New York City. In 2016, guided by the iconic Shiamak Davar, she captained a Bollywood-style Broadway musical in Dubai, showcasing her talent on a global stage. She continues to work with the NY Board of education and conducts workshops and assemblies on dances of India.

With 27 years of experience in dancing, teaching, and performing, Ankita is passionate about incorporating anatomy into dance, ensuring that her students understand their bodies better and dance safely. She holds certifications as a personal fitness trainer from the American College of Sports Medicine and is also a certified yoga instructor. Her journey epitomizes a dedication to empowering others through the art of Indian classical dance.

Sarah Kramer received her BFA in Dance at Montclair State University in 2021 and an Advanced Studies Certificate in Composition from the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in 2023. She has received additional training at b12 Berlin Workshop Festival, GagaLab NYC, and Parsons Dance Choreography Workshop. As a performer, she has performed works by Martha Graham, Ben Wright, Brandin Steffinsen, Maxine Steinman, and others. Her own work has premiered in several festivals in New York, notably 92nd Street Y’s Dance Up! Emerging Choreographers series and the KoDaFe International Dance Festival, as well as internationally at the Romanian National Opera.

As a teacher of 8 years, Sarah has enjoyed teaching various styles of dance to students of all ages and levels but her interest lies in teaching Jazz and Contemporary styles to her students. She is excited to blend these the techniques she has learnt with Bollywood tunes to give her students more well rounded training and finese. She is passionate about fostering a supportive environment in which students can develop their own artistry and love for dance. In dance, there is always something new to discover and explore, and she is so excited to do so with the students of SDA Edgewater this season!

Sangita Das is a certified Kathak and Bharatanatyam dancer from the school of Sura Bharati Sangeet Kala Kendra Academy of Fine Arts. (please elaborate more on the style of Bharatnatyam and Gharana of Kathak). Sangita completed two diplomas in Kathak in the years 2000 and 2003 before her dance teacher relocated to Odisha, prompting her to transition to Bharatanatyam, where she also earned a diploma 2012. However, she had to take a break from dancing to focus on her academic studies after finishing her higher secondary education. During her undergraduate years at Ramesh Chandra Girls High School, Sangita joined a Bollywood dance group Bunty Barua Dance group to hone her versatility.

After getting married, her opportunities to dance became limited, and she eventually moved to the USA with her husband. Finding time for dance proved challenging until the quarantine period (2000 to 2022), and she worked hard on motivating herself and began practicing on her own again. Determined to return to dancing, Sangita found a volunteer position as a dance teacher at the Jersey City Tamil School. There, she spent two months preparing groups of children for their annual event in the year 2024. She even performed alongside other teachers at the event, and the positive feedback and encouragement she received inspired her to reignite her dance career. Sangita now actively instructs students in her community and is very excited to bring her talent and passion for dance to SDA.

Ms. Neha is a trained Haryanvi dancer who started her dance journey at the age of 10. She was an integral part of Vaish College of Engineering’s Cultural Committees where she dabbled in dance, event planning and coordination. Ms. Neha participated with her team that won an award at the inter-college state-level competition for regional dance. She continued to nurture her passion for dance while pursuing her career at Infosys, Pune from 2010 to 2014 and participated in prominent events in San Diego like Festival of Lights, SANTA and CRY San Diego from 2015 to 2019. 

Ms. Neha teaches folk and Bollywood dance forms at SDA. She works as a Salesforce Solution Architect in PwC, New York. She also owns a small business called Dreams Alive specializing in event decor and backdrop curation and is a Mom to an energetic toddler.

Ms. Sushmitha’s love for dance started at the age of 5. She was part of her school Rosary Matriculation Chennai dance team and won multiple inter school competitions. She was also part of the dance teams of her alma maters Stella Maris College, Chennai ( 2011-2014 ) and Madras School of Social Work, Chennai (2014-2016).

She has won multiple collegiate and national level competitions like IIT Saarang, Campus Jive, landing her various awards for best artist and best dancer in solo and team performances.She has also participated and won in an online dance competition called Art Vibe in 2017. Ms Sushmitha is trained in Bollywood, Hip Hop, Contemporary and also explored other dance styles like Jazz and Salsa. She was a teacher and dancer at Independent dance Academy, Chennai ( 2018) She has also been a wedding choreographer teaching both in person and online. She also ventured into event management as her side gig and worked with the Oscar Award winner A.R Rahman for his India tour in 2017 and 2018. Sushmitha is a Mental Health Professional and believes dance is an outlet of expression.  After her work in India and Canada, she moved to New Jersey post her marriage wanting to explore her love for dance and pursue Mental Health.

Anshu Sharma is an accomplished Indian classical dance (Kathak) and Bollywood dance choreographer with a deep passion for the arts. She holds a graduate degree in classical dance and music (vocal) from Maharishi Dayanand University and a master’s degree in music (vocal) from Himachal University, India. With 17 years of experience as the Head of the Dance Department at Modern Delhi International School in Faridabad (Delhi NCR) from 2006 to 2023. Anshu’s expertise extends beyond classical dance to encompass a variety of folk dances, including Haryanvi, Punjabi, and Rajasthani, as well as vocal and instrumental music.

Anshu’s artistic talents have been showcased in numerous performances and competitions, where she has consistently emerged victorious. She made significant contributions to the arts through her work on the documentary "Beti," which aired on Doordarshan. Her choreography for school plays, such as "Pratigya," "Krishna," "Ramayana," and the highly acclaimed "Honsalon Ke Badshah" (depicting the life of Narendra Modi), has been celebrated for its creativity and impact. In addition to her work in education, Anshu has successfully organized and choreographed a wide range of private events, including wedding choreographies and celebrations for Teej, Diwali, and Bollywood nights. Her artistic experience is further enriched by her involvement in theatre during her college years.

With roots as a child actor and dancer, the arts have always been central to Pearl Barsivala's story. From a young age, she trained in ballet, successfully completing Royal Academy of Dance Grades 1, 4 and 5 examinations while also training at Shiamak Davar's Institute for the Performing Arts, where she was part of Shiamak’s Special Potential batch. These early years gave her a strong technical foundation and versatility across a variety of dance styles. Her love for dance naturally led her to teaching and she has enjoyed working with children of all ages, helping them grow in confidence, creativity and self-expression.

Before moving to the United States, Pearl spent seven years with Raell Padamsee's ACE Productions as a Senior Stage Production Lead, working on large-scale theatre productions. Her background in both dance and theatre has shaped her approach as an educator, bringing creativity, storytelling and performance together in every class. Since joining Shehnaaz Dance Academy in March 2026, she has been teaching dance and choreography, directing plays for WonderWorkz summer camps and assisting backstage on productions for Rangmanch. Pearl believes that the best learning happens when children feel encouraged to explore, have fun and express themselves, and she loves helping every student discover their confidence, creativity and joy through the performing arts.

Ms Shreya is a Bollywood and semi classical dancer who has been dancing since she was 5. She has performed on stage almost every year, from school annual events to being featured in a dance sequence in a Marathi film in 2010. She was part of two professional dance groups in her hometown of Pune - Justine’s Dance Academy Group and Pune Heels Dance Academy where she did a year of belly dance training and also participated in many prominent events like Breast Cancer Awareness by Nag Foundation in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and Pune Commerce and New Business Awards Ceremony in 2014 to name a few.

She has done her schooling and college at St. Mary’s School, Pune and Masters in Computer Applications from Pune University. Shreya and her team led her alma mater Symbiosis College, Pune to victory in the Annual Dance Fest Symbhav in 2015. She has also completed short courses in Latin American and Ballroom Dancing ( Sumeru Dance School, Pune in 2009) has briefly trained in Kathak and Bharatanatyam through workshops. 

Ms Shreya comes from a family of teachers and she herself was a educator in Pune at Serra International School and Victorious Kids Educares from 2018-2020. Continuing her passion for teaching, she is now a Corporate Trainer and Etiquette Consultant in New Jersey. She describes dancing as a way her mind communicates with her. She is often seen swaying without music because rhythm runs in her body. She aspires to spread similar joy through dance to the students of SDA. 

Ms. Himanshi Kothari is a trained Bollywood dancer and has dabbled other dance forms like Hip-hop, Salsa, Contemporary, Semi-classical, and Garba and Heels style from dance professionals such as Sagar Mhadolkar, Swarali Karulkar, Revati Mahurkar and the Shiamak USA team. She is also pursuing Kathak dance lessons currently from Shivani Badgi in New York City, USA.

She started her dance journey at the early age of 4 and has been dancing ever since. Ms. Himanshi has performed and won folk and solo dance competitions during her school days and during her college festival – Pratibimb – in Mumbai, India in the year 2014. She has also been a part of her college dance team at VJTI (2013 – 2015) while pursuing her B. Tech in Mumbai, India. Ms. Himanshi is well versed with private events/wedding choreography. She moved to the USA in 2021 to pursue her MS in Business Analytics and is currently working with EY as a Technology Consultant.

Tilottama is a New Jersey–based actor, theatre artist, and dancer whose work spans television, film, and live performance. Her screen credits include a co-star role on the acclaimed BBC drama Our Girl and supporting performances in independent films such as Part-Time and Thinking Hours. On stage, Tilottama has performed extensively in New York theatre, portraying a wide range of dramatic, comedic, and character-driven roles. Her theatre experience has allowed her to explore diverse genres and styles, developing a dynamic and compelling stage presence.

Trained at The Barrow Group and The Acting Studio New York, Tilottama studied scene work, character development, voice, and movement. Her performance style is further enriched by years of training in Bharatanatyam, one of India's oldest classical dance forms, as well as extensive experience in Bollywood dance. In addition to performing, Tilottama is deeply invested in arts education and community engagement. Before joining SDA, she used to work with Good Kids Malaysia, a social enterprise that uses the performing arts to help children build emotional and social well-being. Tilottama is also an Accredited Business Communicator, with over 12 yrs in a global MNC. 

Ms. Apnavi, our partner for Cultural Programs and Holiday Camps, is a qualified and experienced marketing professional. Apart from the US, she has lived in Singapore and India. She founded Buzy Bugs in 2015 while living in Singapore. Buzy Bugs creatively brings together the three important aspects of Ms. Apnavi’s life; entrepreneurship, handcrafting and working with children. She provides an engaging themed program for children with hands-on creative exploration.

Ms. Apnavi integrates storytelling with arts and crafts and curates immersive experiences like the Ramayan puppet show, mother’s day pop- up market and more. She creates an exciting environment for children to learn about the Indian culture in our community and beyond.