Teaching Philosophy

As a dance artist, choreographer and teacher, I feel tremendously fortunate to be a part of an art form that creates embodied awareness, understanding, communication and expression. In an art form that presents limitless possibilities, there is responsibility on the dance educator to create space and facilitate growth of the students to become thinking, curious, holistic thought leaders of their own right. My goal as a teacher is to create balance between technical mastery while increasing the students’ agency to connect with the world through dance with emphasis on creating their own individualistic artistic expression.

Recognizing that each individual comes with his/her own creativity and unique strength is central to my teaching philosophy. Through the classroom I provide a nurturing space for students to improve and grow their physical practice and artistic expression. Dance as a lived experience brings us closer to expressing our truth. With this expression comes vulnerability which is inevitable and imperative for personal growth and transformation. My teaching recognizes the fact that each student processes information at his/her own pace, and I provide multiple inroads into a topic in order to address the varying levels of student learning.

Technique classes are a space where we bring our physical, emotional and energetic selves, present, ready, and open to learn and absorb new information. I guide my students towards their own artistic goals as well as mastery over the subject matter through positive, productive and constructive feedback. I encourage them to explore movements in multiple ways to find the one that feels most integrated to them. It is important to me as a dance teacher to encourage not just imitation of shapes in space but exploration of how, where, when and why the movement originates in the body. I believe strongly that when movement is approached from a place of balance arising out of internal as well as external comprehension, the achievement of fullest expression happens in an almost effortless organic manner.

With my background and training in classical Indian dance, I hope to bring an understanding and mutual respect for diversity and difference in the classroom while providing a safe and supportive environment where we, as a community explore new concepts together. I like to give students an embodied understanding into various cultural forms, especially from India, through an organic blend between Modern dance and Indian dance forms. The hope is to create community and empathy for difference through shared kinesthetic experiences and movement.  

My interest in somatics and Yoga training has led me to approach my classes by looking for ways in which an integrated whole body becomes an active learner. I use somatics to encourage dancers to think about proper body alignment and safe movement practices that allow them to unleash their own movement potential to the fullest. Working with one’s body rather than against it is one of the key goals in my class. I encourage my students to develop technical abilities while understanding their body and honing their minds to develop creative problem solving skills. My hope is that they explore the potential of both their body and mind to become creative and critical thinking, feeling artists.

I hope to inculcate healthy practices in my dancers such they may become thinking, well-rounded artists who value personal uniqueness, diversity, collaboration, innovation and community.