Karishma Singh

Meet Karishma! She is a talented radiographer that loves to dance and connect with her students! She is our very own Aaja Nachle baby - having been a student of the school many moons ago and now a teacher! She joined our team as she wanted to be part of a school that’s passionate about Bollywood dance while helping students to become better versions of themselves, whether it’s through encouraging healthy living, improving dance skills or enhancing one’s self-confidence.

Nirali Pandya

Nirali creates a spark when she is with her students. She is a talented Bharatanatyam teacher and also happens to be a Garba queen! She is a full time accountant outside of dance but loves to stay involved as she is passionate about carrying on the art of dance through the younger generation.

Tanima Mahadevan

Meet Tanima Mahadevan! Tanima hails from a family of famous Bharatanatyam dancers and trained in mystical India under the tutelage of tutors from Kerala Kalamandalam. We are in awe of her skills and talent as a classical dancer and tutor! Tanima completed her masters at the University of Auckland and now works full time as a project manager at Mercedes Benz. We love watching her inspire and mentor her students with her love of classical dance styles. 

Vrikshikha Velan

Meet our Vrikshikha, AKA Vriki! She started dancing from an early age in her home town Chennai, India. She has completed her arangetram in Bharata Natyam and is a passionate, classically trained dancer. Moving to New Zealand at the age of 19 for further studies, she wanted to find a way to connect with her community and work with youth through music and dance. This is why she joined Aaja Nachle as a dance teacher, the moment she stepped foot in the country! (Literally - she emailed us once she landed in NZ and the rest is history!)

Urmika Unnikrishnan Bangera

The lovely Urmika is a trained classical dancer and sketch artist. She joined Aaja Nachle to stay connected with her culture and help others understand that dance is not just a hobby, it can grow into a lifelong passion. Urmika hails from an area in India named ‘God's own country’ - Kerala and recently moved to NZ to join her husband. She is a busy mother, an extrovert at heart and LOVES her beginner students!

Nupur Khanna

She is a powerhouse of energy. She loves Kathak and classical fusion dance styles and challenges herself to be the best dancer and teacher that she can be. Dance fuels her passion for dance and ignites a spark in her.

Nupur firmly believes dance teaches you perseverance and this determination can be applied to all other aspects of life. This is one of the key reasons why she loves to teach and is passionately tied to the larger life lessons that one learns through their dance lessons!

Nupur works for the starship foundation and is a busy mum. She has been connected to Aaja Nachle for close to a decade as a dancer and tutor!

Classes: Kathak Fusion

Chandni Shah

Meet our Garba queen! She loves Garba and folk dance. An accountant by profession, she has been dancing for more than 20 years now. She feels that dance helps her to focus better in her day to day life. Needless to say, dance is her passion and that’s why she joined Aaja Nachle as a teacher. Chandni has been teaching at Aaja Nachle for a few years and is well-loved and respected by her peers for her enthusiasm and talent. Her beginner students love pulling her leg and seeing her get goofy with them!

Rebecca Sabu.

Meet our lovely smiley tutor Rebecca! Rebecca loves teaching our youngest to our oldest and creates a magical bond with all her students. She is a trained classical dancer and helped choreograph captivating tales such as ‘Migrant voice’. She arrived in New Zealand as a student and has grown professionally now working as a Engineer while continuing her passion for dance by teaching and dancing with Aaja Nachle.

Sushmitha Mantri

Have you seen this energetic diva dance? You will be mesmorised! Sushmita is a pro at Bolly Fusion, contemporary, hip-hop, waacking and south indian dance styles. Her classes are full of magic and masti and you will be hella-tired after the one hour is up!

Sushmitra hails from the region of Hydrebad India and lives with her family in New Zealand. She juggles her part time teaching role with full time work as an operations expert.