Bio

I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, and now live in Chicago
with my wonderful husband Marco. My father is from Punjab, India, and my
mother is from Michigan. My interest in international music and dance
stems from the coupling of my multi-cultural background with the passion
for music and dance that I inherited from my mother and aunt. I have a
Bachelors degree in music composition and theory from M.I.T., and have
studied classical western violin, piano and voice. I was born into a
large family of dancers, and as such have been performing my entire
life, primarily Indian folk and film dance. I currently teach Bhangra
(Indian Folk Dance) at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, am
the founder, director and lead choreographer for Sargam Dance Troupe,
and am a student of Middle Eastern Belly Dance. My husband introduced me
to the diverse culture of Mexico, and has passed his love for Mexican
music and dance on to me. I was naturally drawn to the percussive
zapateado dance performed on the tarima because it combines my two
passions of music performance and dance. After studying Mexican
folkloric dance at the Old Town School of Folk Music and with the very
generous and talented members of the Chicago based music groups, I now
dance the zapateado for Grupo Cantaro. As with all international dance
styles, I have a great respect for Mexican culture and strive to achieve
an authentic presentation of Mexican folkloric dance through my
continued education.
My musical interests and influences are diverse - everything from Bach
to Alice in Chains - and I am always on the lookout for something new to
experience. I will dance to just about anything, and am often referred
to as "the Energizer Bunny" because once I start dancing, I just won't
stop.
 

me