Nina is the Founder & Director of award-winning company: Nina’s Choreography. The vibrant platform specialises in teaching cosmopolitan dance inspired by classical Bollywood. Using her professional experience in traditional Bharatanatyam training, modern showbiz and impressive globe-trotting through life, the mover and shaker introduces contemporary twists to standard Bollywood routines to uniquely ignite confidence. The dances are dynamic, colourful and passionate. “People are widely taken by the glamourous world of Bollywood – the music, the outfits and Bhangra – and adding alternative contemporary influences, such as Salsa or Belly dancing, makes it truly universal. I started by learning classic Indian dance then trained in Hip-Hop and eventually a mix of many dance forms. Some influential divas back then for me are Karishma Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit.” Here, Nina’s Bollywood-inspired Zumba is especially popular; earning her the current title of The ‘Zumba Queen of North West London.’ The expressive human flamingo is also flexible with her classes. From the teaching of different types of Bollywood fusion in groups to instructing individual weddings, corporate shows and events and leading dance workshops, Nina’s platform operates both in-person and online. “Social media has been pivotal in my success,” the creator commented: “when I first began choreographing in London, I had only had two clients. Through hard work and sincerity for the medium, I gradually amassed a significantly large following. This kept growing through the time of lockdown.” Perseverance then for Nina is the psychological key.
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Her entrepreneurial journey originated in Hong Kong where she first started conducting classes in Indian dance where this alone was well-received. “No one else was broadcasting accessible Bollywood and people just loved that I was doing it.” Now, Nina not only opens the door to glitzy South-Asian culture but also emotional openness and experiential celebration itself. “Earlier in my life, I actually wanted to work in Bollywood but found that not having connections hindered proper progress. Despite my tremendous talent and knowledge, I could not quite break through. I was doing a lot of fun work as a background artist. Then, over time, I realised why go through someone else when I have the ability to launch myself? I wanted simply to be me!” Indeed, breaking a few social barriers, the 42-year-old firecracker has more energy than Jennifer Lopez’ back-up dancers put together: “some classes easily include 600 squats which are all organically integrated into the dance sequence.” The physical fitness fluidly extends from thrill and active enjoyment. “There is no age-limit. I teach students across different generations”. Nina also makes sure to note exceptional amateur dancers who emerge in the classes to give them opportune exposure: “A highlight moment, for example, was organising big show for Diwali in Trafalgar Square. I was proud to showcase so much talent, having choreographed absolutely everything myself.” Drawing proactively from her own experiences, the metropolitan star philanthropically rights what she’s felt has been personally wrong. She elaborated on the touching emotional impetus for her work: “when my second child was born, there was a complication. She was deemed disabled. Having paused my career to nurture a strong family, I was naturally saddened and went into depression. However, one day, I noticed my little girl smile at me and it was the most beautiful moment. I realised I shouldn’t be defeated and that connecting to my joy again was the priority. Ultimately, dancing does make you incredibly happy. There is an unrivalled rush of endorphins – this is what enhances your self-esteem.” And so, Nina finally shows us the broader lesson of pure success: not simply living in the moment but literally throwing yourself into it! This is what simultaneously transports you to the next advanced level. Today, Nina has been invited to choreograph for Marvel, contributed to music videos for noteworthy saxophonists and even acted on the side in a few Bollywood movies. She also has the “privilege” of having a televised segment, Zumba with Nina, for 6 weeks on MATV UK.
