NOORANI DANCE COMPANY

Ragini is a visual artist, a community organizer and a musician in the Bay Area. She grew up in a family of musicians where creativity was encouraged and nurtured. Ragini received her vocal training in Indian classical music and Gurmat Sangeet from her parents, professor Dalbir Singh and late professor Parminder Kaur, and later from the renowned maestro, Dr. Sisirkana Dhar Choudhury. A cinephile from childhood, Ragini gravitated towards cameras and the art of visual storytelling. She is enthusiastic and focused on preserving and sharing her roots, and the stories of her people through the arts.

Shivani (She/her) started her Kathak journey at the age of four under the guidance of Dr. Suchitra Harmalkar and became an integral part of her performing group - Kartik Kala Academy in India. She achieved her Diploma in Kathak from Gandharva University, Mumbai. Additionally, in 2010, she began training in other dance forms including contemporary, modern, and hip hop. Presently, she remains devoted to honing her skills in Kathak and other dance forms, with a strong aspiration of blending Kathak with modern dance to convey emotions through her movements.

Malavika is an engineer in the Bay Area. She embarked on her dance journey in 2016, humbly learning from the talented Farah Yasmeen Shaikh at Noorani Dance. She has had the privilege of performing in several Noorani Dance productions and has found joy in assisting with classes at the Noorani Dance School. Malavika is grateful for the opportunity to now be a part of the performing ensemble, where she continues to grow as a dancer and hopes to inspire others with her love for the art.

Riya has received formal training in Gujarati and Rajasthani folk dances, and Bollywood during her childhood. In college, she joined the competitive collegiate Raas team, serving as vice-captain in 2015-16. Riya began studying Kathak in 2020, joining Noorani Dance School in 2021. Since 2022, she has hosted Garba workshops with Noorani Dance during Navaratri, sharing her cultural heritage. In 2024, she joined the Noorani Dance Company, marking her first experience as part of a performing ensemble.

Rooted in years of dedicated Kathak training, Arshiya began dancing at age three and studying the classical form at six. A national-level performer and award-winning soloist, she has also trained in dancehall, contemporary, house, and bhangra, enriching her global experience. She continues to find joy in the storytelling of Kathak and seeks to share its beauty with audiences everywhere. Arshiya joined Noorani Dance Company in 2024.

Mahncy has been dancing since her childhood years. She took her first ballet class when she was four years old and continued training in lyrical and jazz dance at school. At the age of nine, she started learning Kathak and after a few years, she started training at  Chhandam, where she was a part of the Youth Company for three years. After graduating high school, Mahncy took a short break, and resumed her training  in 2017 in Kathak with Farah Yasmeen Shaikh at Noorani Dance. Mahncy has been a teaching assistant and now a member of Noorani Dance Company.

Shreya has loved dancing since childhood, beginning with freestyle and later starting her journey in Kathak. She trained in India under her guru Shraddha Bhide, where she built a strong foundation in the art form. After moving to the Bay Area, she continued her training with Farah Yasmeen Shaikh and has recently joined Noorani Dance Company. Dance has always been her greatest passion, and she looks forward to learning, growing, and joyfully sharing her love for Kathak with others.

Aishly began her training in Kathak at 7 years old under the guidance of Dr. Suchitra Harmalkar in India. She completed her Visharad in 2019, and has now been training for 15 years, and also loves exploring and performing other dance forms such as old school hip hop. Aishly moved to the Bay Area in 2024 to attend San Jose State and recently joined Noorani Dance Company to continue her passion for Kathak.