Online Bharatanatyam and Bollywood dancing in London with 18 years of experience

Find out more about Priyanka

• What age did you start dancing? Tell us about this time or moment in your life.

  I started classical dancing at the age of 9. I remember dancing before that as well but my formal training started at the age of 9. This was triggered by a performance I attended. The girls on stage were exceptional and I got intrigued by the art form. My mother is also a practising classical dancer and I turned around to her and simply said, "I want to learn this".

• What are your favourite dances; those that you practice at a high level, a simple hobby, and a dance that you'd still like to discover?

  My favourite will always remain Indian classical style of Bharatanatyam. I have grown and evolved as a person pursuing it. I love Bollywood as well for it brings in a different energy to the stage and the audience. I practice Bharatanatyam and Bollywood equally and I love the ability to get creative with it. I particularly enjoy organising stage shows, choreographing Bollywood for others and Bharatanatyam for my students. I would still want to explore Kathak (another form of Indian classical dancing) because I am mesmerised by it but never got a chance to learn it formally and contemporary because it is so different (Movements are very fluid) compared to Bharatanatyam.

• What gives you the motivation and passion to pursue your dance?

  I am training about 100 students along with my mother. The fact that I am propagating this art, leaving a legacy and being able to get creative with what I do motivates me to wake up every morning and give my 200% to it. The same song can be performed in a hundred different ways. The fact that dance is such an ocean makes me want to dive deeper and deeper.

• Do you have a dancing achievement that you're particularly proud of?

  There are quite a few. But I will elaborate on one particular event here. I choreographed an eastern folk dance on a particularly disturbing event that had occurred in India back in 2013. A young girl was raped and murdered in Delhi and there was a huge uproar against it and lots of people were fighting for the cause. I wanted to spread awareness in my own way. But I was walking on a very thin rope because of the sensitivity of the issue. It turned out to be a great success thanks to all my dancers.

• How have your achievements and challenges made you a better dancer?

  I have faced as many challenges as achievements. I have forgotten my moves on stage, my false hair has fallen off, I was deemed too thin to perform solo apart from many others. But I have also had immense success stories. So ultimately, challenges and achievements go hand in hand. One cannot happen without the other. I remember crying of embarrassment on stage when I forgot my steps as a child to now gracefully cover up if I do. So, yes, I have come a long way. Haha.

• If you had to go dance with a famous dancer, who would you choose? And what questions would you ask them?

  There are quite a few icons in the Indian classical industry. I would choose Rukmini Vijaykumar (actress and classical dancer). I am amazed by the fact that she has managed to stay extraordinarily fit in spite of her age. Her moves are graceful and extremely swift for her age. I would want to take a fitness class with her or learn her daily regime/routine on staying fit.

• How do you help people stay motivated?

  I strongly believe that if I am motivated and passionate about what I do, it percolates and my students can sense it. And when they do, they get motivated themselves. And that's the best form of motivation - one that is innate.

• What makes you a Superprof in dance?

  I love what I do, every day is a Sunday (I don't feel the need for running away/taking a break/vacation) from what I do, I am able to get creative everyday, every day is a new challenge, I feel immense satisfaction to be able to propagate the art, I am leaving a legacy and I am living a purposeful life. There is nothing better that I could imagine my life to shape into.