Meet The ZIND TEAM
Founder & Creative Director: Nina Kay
I am so glad you're here! I started training in Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical Dance) at the age of 6 in Maryland. In high school, I started choreographing cinematic and folk dances and continued to teach and choreograph for local Indian community programs. I graduated from KNS in my senior year of high school. I would have loved to further my training to an Arangetram level, but put it on hold to attend St. Johns University Queens, NY to pursue a Doctorate in Pharmacy.
When I went to college, one of the first things my dad told me was to “not even think about dance”. So, of course, being an 18 year old with my first real taste of freedom, I quickly looked up and auditioned for the all female south Asian dance team (SJU Raaz) the very first week of college.
After returning back from college, the dancing still didn’t stop. I contacted my Guru and started to train for my arangetram. I’m sure my parents thought “omg – This girl is STILL trying to dance?!”. But, yes, I was. I finally completed my arangetram in October of 2013. About eight months later, I opened up ZIND Performing Academy (formerly known as NinaKshi, LLC) on June 21, 2014 (a day before my 26th birthday!)
I still work as a Pharmacist, but dance has always and will always be my gift, my outlet, my blessing and my calling. I knew from an adolescent age that I wanted to open up a dance studio to create dance routines, teach dance lovers and perform the art of Indian Dance.
Staff Manager: Sridevi K.
Sridevi has been dancing in one form or the other since she was about four years old. Bollywood dancing, in particular, has always been her passion. Growing up, she performed in front of her family and friends to choreographed routines.
In high school, Sridevi continued dancing by joining a local dance team and presenting at a showcase at the end of each year. Sridevi took a break from dancing when she went off to college, but she continues her passion for Bollywood dance at Zind Performing Academy.
Admin Assistant: Aashti A.
Aashti has been dancing since the age of 6 by imitating Bollywood moves from movies. Dancing has always been her passion as she has performed all through her school events and even choreographed a few routines for family weddings. Right before high school, Aashti decided to take her dancing passion up a notch by joining the Shaimak Davar Institute of Performing Arts where her interest in dancing continued to grow. In 2019, she joined Zind Performing Academy to be a part of a South Asian dance community. During the pandemic, she decided to take a break from dancing with Zind but continues to pursue her passion by being an active member of the administrative team.
Enrollment Coordinator: Danya M.
From childhood through high school she studied Bharathanatym under guru Aparna Ramaswamy and had her arangetram in 2011. In college she joined UMBC Adaa where she was exposed to many styles such as bollywood, bhangra, hip hop, and modern, and eventually became captain of the team her senior year. In 2018, after a brief dance hiatus for graduate school, she joined Zind Agni and has loved being able to dance consistently again in her adult life. Being a dance teacher has been her dream since she was 12. She has spent a lot of time in recent years teaching dance to her family members and has loved watching them gain body literacy and confidence as they practice their skills.
Instructor: Spreeha C.
Spreeha has been dancing for as long as she can remember. Originally from New Jersey, She trained with the New Jersey School of Ballet for over 10 years. Throughout her high school years, college, and into adulthood, she has participated in various Indian dance performances, including for the Somerset Bengali Association and North American Bengali Convention. After moving to Rockville during the pandemic, she joined ZIND to make new friends and meet other dancers in the area!
Instructor: Trisha R.
Trisha began her dance journey at 5 years old in Cleveland, Ohio, training in Bharatanatyam under Guru Padma Rajagopal. At age 16, Trisha completed her arangetram and started to teach dance classes. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, Trisha regularly performed at community events, showcasing Bollywood, Classical and Fusion styles. In college, Trisha joined Buckeye Fusion, a national-award winning all-female Bollywood Fusion team. Here, Trisha was exposed to new dance forms like Bhangra and Contemporary, while continuing to grow her skills in Bharatnatyam and Bollywood. Since graduating, Trisha has moved to DC and joined the Zind family as an instructor. She has loved sharing her culture and passion for dance with her students. When she isn’t working or teaching, Trisha loves to learn different styles of dance at various neighborhood workshops and classes.
Instructor: Jhumur B.
Jhumur has enjoyed dancing since she was four years old. She has participated in dance performances from middle school through her high school years at various school cultural events, via her Bengali community cultural programs in NY, and the annual North American Bengali Convention. She continued to embrace her love for dancing by helping choreograph and perform various dances in college, graduate school, friend’s weddings, and for fun. Her dance styles include Rabindra Nritya, Kathak, Bhangra, Tollywood and Bollywood. As a ZIND instructor, she hopes to maintain her passion by inspiring young children and peers to ignite their love for dancing!
Instructor: Andrea S.
Andrea started dancing at the age of 5 where she learned Bharanathyam. After learning Bharanathyam for 14 years, Andrea started teaching private dance classes for kids of all ages for local performances. After joining college, Andrea joined UMBC ADAA where she was vice captain her first year on the team and captain her second year. Andrea is excited to join the Zind team and can’t wait for all the new memories she is going to make!
Instructor: Anjali J.
Anjali began dancing at 5 years old. She started with classical training, learning Kuchipudi for 3 years and Bharathanatayam the following three years. Throughout this time and in middle school, Anjali performed classical and Bollywood routines at many community and church events. In high school, She joined ZIND and explored a variety of dance forms in the fusion dance class. In college, she was a member of Maryland Dhoom, where she was an active dancing member, learning numerous dance styles, then continued on in managerial positions in the team in the following years. After graduating from UMD, she is so excited to return to the ZIND community as an instructor and share her passion in dance!
Instructor: Anika M.
Anika has been dancing since she was 4 years old and began taking Bollywood dance lessons. Throughout her childhood, she trained in a variety of styles, including Bollywood, jazz, hip-hop, and ballet. She then danced with Zind Agni in high school. In college, she discovered her love for bhangra, serving as captain on her college bhangra team and joining the independent bhangra circuit. She is excited to come back to Zind as an instructor to encourage others to explore their passion for dance!
Instructor: Rhea G.
For as long as she can remember, Rhea has had a natural affinity for the arts whether it be dancing or singing. Rhea has been dancing since the age of 5 when she started learning Kathak under her guru Rituparna Mukherjee. She fell in love with classical dance and started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 9 under the guidance of her guru Radhika Unnithan. Alongside her love for Indian classical dance, she loved dancing Bollywood and performing in her local community. In 2016, she completed her Kathak Manch Pravesh and in 2018, she completed her Bharatanatyam arangetram. In college, she was a part of a competitive dance team called NCSU Nazaare and was the captain her senior year. Rhea has always loved teaching children and spreading the same joy that dance brings her to her students.
Instructor: Tejas G.
Tejas embarked on her dance journey at the age of 6, immersing herself in the ancient art of Kuchipudi under the guidance of her guru, Saikantha Raparla, at India International School (IIS). As the years unfolded, so did her passion for Indian Classical dance alongside her growing confidence and stage presence. Fueling her artistic exploration, Tejas delved into diverse dance styles such as Bollywood, Bhangra, Hip-Hop, and various regional folk dances. Her performances stretched throughout various events like IIS Annual Days, the Asian Festival, Marathi Kala Mandal (MKM) gatherings, and Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal (BMM) National Conventions. Tejas' passion for dance continued, persistently driving her to impart that love to others. Now, she eagerly embraces a new chapter as a dance instructor with the ZIND family, eager to share her lifelong passion for dance and culture.
Instructor: Sandali C.
Sandali was born in Sri Lanka and currently lives in Maryland. In Sri Lanka, she began her Bharatnatyam (Indian Classical Dance) journey at the age of five under Guru Vasugy Jegatheeswaram. She also learned Kandyan (Sri Lankan Classical Dance) under Guru Rajini Selvanayagam and Guru Budawatta. When she migrated to the US, she continued to pursue her passion for Bharatnatyam under Guru Rani Devi at KNS. As a dancer at KNS, she won the "Best Dancer" trophy in 2012. Over the years, she has performed in a variety of shows, community events, and competitions. She was a member of Maryland Dhoom, a Bollywood dance team at UMD, where she gained a different perspective on Bollywood Fusion dance. She is also a skilled choreographer who has choreographed dances in Bharatanatyam, Kandyan, Bollywood and Folk Dance among many others. Through her deep love for dance and dedication to preserving the culture, she hopes to inspire others to dance as well. For her, joining ZIND as a semi-classical dance instructor and spreading the joy of dance is an incredible opportunity!
