Sangeeta Naidu was born in the U.K. to Indian parents from the Fiji islands.  She grew up in a military family and lived primarily in Anchorage, Alaska but has been a Washingtonian for over two decades now.  She originally started attending dance classes as a child, because her parents wanted her to connect with her culture and her traditions.  Sangeeta found community in Anchorage by taking dance classes with children from other South Asian families who bonded over their love of Bollywood movies and music.  This community was where Bollywood dance came alive for her.

Sangeeta describes herself as a Bollywood dancer with a classical background and focuses on storytelling, as inspired by the Indian dance styles of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  She teaches both Indian students and students who want to learn more about Bollywood and South Asian culture through the stories, music and of course, dance.  

Ultimately, Sangeeta strives to create an inclusive environment for her students and welcomes everybody to be a part of learning about her culture.  She also has a dance company, Afsaana Dance, which is part of the Theater Alliance group at the University Heights Center (link: https://www.uheightscenter.org/). This allows them to have studio space for free in exchange for creating classes or performances that give back to the community.  Although this was interrupted by COVID, they are looking forward to returning to this space and engaging with their community again.  In the meantime, Sangeeta has been teaching classes on Zoom.

Find her online here:

Website - https://www.afsaanadance.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/afsaana.dance.9

‍