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.

Ishika (she/her) is a South Asian choreographer, dancer, dance educator and writer based in the unceded lands of the Ohlone people (Bay Area).

She is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Ishami Dance Company, a Bay Area based South Asian Contemporary Dance company. Since 2007, Ishika has been choreographing for festivals, events, theatrical productions as well as original works, presenting her work in the Bay Area and New York.

She has her BA in Dance from SJSU and studied Indian Contemporary Dance, jazz, yoga and Mayurbhanj Chhau in India, and had the opportunity to be a part of Santosh Nair’s company Sadhya. She was the Assistant Artistic Director of the Mona Khan Company from 2011-2021. She is humbled to join Noorani Dance under the guidance of Farah Yasmeen Shaikh.

Enakshi is a purpose-driven artist, choreographer, and compassionate instructor committed to uniting communities, spreading joy, and teaching self-empowerment through dance. She aspires to create movements of original, emotive and inspiring quality through her dance artistry. Through dance education, she trains her dancers to be well-versed in technique, step into their confidence, and shine both on and off stage. Enakshi Vyas is the Artistic Director and Founder of Dance with E.N.A. Her formal Kathak training occurred under the direct guidance of Pandit Chitresh Das as part of the first iterations of the Chhandam Youth Dance Company. She brings a fresh touch to traditional forms of movement by mixing her diverse range of styles into her choreography. 

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.

Monika is a dancer and engineer in the Bay Area. She started her classical dance journey with Bharatanatyam in Bangalore. After moving to the US, she started her Kathak training in 2017 and completed her “Praveshika” under Ruchi Lamba. She also learnt from Prashant Shah and Svetlana Tulasi while in Orange County. After moving to the Bay area in 2021, she joined Monsoon Dance Company, Palo Alto. While training under Karishma Sharma, she performed in the production "Shifting Boundaries with Kathak" and other recitals with the company in 2022. She also trains in Bollywood, Hip Hop and Contemporary.

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.

Athena grew up in an environment enriched by the classical arts of South Asia, beginning her own training at the age of 5 at Pandit Das' institution, Chhandam, and receiving direct training from Farah since 2016. She has studied Kathak, Odissi and vocal music. A member of the Noorani Dance Company, Athena completed her kathak solo in 2019. Now at Tufts University, Athena continues to pursue her various artistic paths, alongside continuing to train in kathak, teach classes at Noorani Dance School, and perform as a soloist and as a member of the Noorani Dance Company.

Sreoshi Sarkar has a deep rooted passion for dance and visual art.  She began her study of dance at age 5 at Chhandam, founded by the late Pandit Chitresh Das and has been training with Farah directly since 2015. A member of the Noorani Dance Company, Sreoshi completed her kathak solo in 2018, and has been assisting and teaching classes since 2016. Sreoshi has been instrumental in developing new curriculum for the children's classes at Noorani Dance. Now attending Barnard College, Sreoshi continues to teach and perform kathak.

Esha has been studying Kathak for the past 14 years. She received advanced training in the art form when she joined the Chhandam Youth Dance Company in 2011, and began training with Farah Yasmeen Shaikh in 2016. She performed her first traditional Kathak solo under Farah’s guidance. In addition to her studies in Kathak, she has served as a Teacher’s Assistant for beginner classes, catering to a diverse range of age groups. Throughout her training, she has performed at prestigious venues such as the Palace of Fine Arts for the Ethnic Dance Festival, the Kathak Festival in New York, and most recently in the lead role of King Akbar in Noorani Dance’s production “Sunhera Noor.” Outside of dance, Esha is studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara pursuing her Masters of Science in Computer Science.