A Moment of Pride for Representing India

I am now back to auditioning for various projects, continuing to train in both dance & acting, teaching and choreographing for competitions for kids

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

Born and raised in Mumbai, India I started dancing at the age of 3. I come from a very simple family. Both my parents have been always supportive in all my life decisions no matter how big or small.

I joined Bharatnatyam classes at a very young age and then switched to athletics and roller skating going on to competing for state and national level competitions.

2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue dancing and how did you start?

As a teenager, I hopped around a lot from skating to athletics to wanting to join the Indian Army. Then I watched the film 'Chicago' and it was the song ALL THAT JAZZ, which sparked my interest in Jazz Dance (Back in 2008 which wasn't very well known in India).

In my search for Jazz Dance Classes in Mumbai, I came across ballet dancer Yana Lewis who's now my mentor and a great inspiration and supporter of everything I choose to do. She's based in Bangalore so I decided to stay there for a month and try Ballet to see if I actually wanted to pursue this full time.

And I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE DANCE FORM! I understood that to train in Jazz I'd to strengthen my foundation in Ballet first. Then it went from training in Ballet at The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet to Laine Theatre Arts in London, UK.

3. How was it to be a part of the 'Work It' Netflix movie as your Hollywood debut?

SURREAL! UNREAL! A MOMENT OF PRIDE FOR REPRESENTING INDIA It was an extremely eye-opening experience to what is out there in terms of acting, how actors get into character, how the whole film comes to life, and all the people involved in it...

4. What is the scope of dancing as a career in India as compared to the world?

In my personal opinion and very little time that I spent in India, I'd say that the major difference is the process of getting work as a dancer. It is not always about who you know. There are agents, there are auditions, there's casting directors everyone involved in the process of selecting talent.

I'd say that India is definitely coming to terms with accepting Dance as a profession, Which is huge progress.

5. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?

Keep at it! You've got to believe in your dreams, your goals, your aspirations! You need to manifest your thoughts and ambitions. You need to not forget that you would be a self-employed business. You need to utilize your time smartly, make smart choices, and most importantly know your worth.

6. What are your upcoming projects?

Due to the pandemic conditions, our industry has taken a big hit. During those 6 months, I took acting lessons, voice lessons, and worked towards launching a company called "BollyHeelsTO" - Canada's First Bollywood Fusion in Heels Dance Company.

I am now back to auditioning for various projects, continuing to train in both dance & acting, teaching and choreographing for competitions for kids around Toronto

7. Which is your favorite book and why?

I love reading about real-life stories and motivational/inspirational books. My favorite one until now is Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Instagram ID - @indianamehta