Ms. Namita Nayyar
You have been also trained in Kathak and Yoga, but how did you find your true calling in belly dancing? More on the types you specialize on
Ms.Sanjana Muthreja
Belly dance was the first dance form that I started learning. I was really young and had no exposure to any other style of dance. Once I completed my belly dance teacher’s training, I realized I was well trained in one dance form and then decided to take up Kathak to help me in my spins. I wanted to be a better dancer and teacher. Yoga is a stress-buster and it keeps me fit and flexible. I had the beautiful opportunities to travel and teach these forms where I did a fusion of Yoga-Belly and Katha-Belly. But my heart and soul have always been in belly dance. I still remember watching a belly dance video when I was just a kid – It’s like my first love!
Ms. Namita Nayyar
You also reintroduced the Tahitian dance form in India, tell us more on this?
Ms. Sanjana Muthreja
I don’t know about reintroducing – I have got Tahitian Dance to India. Initially, I had no idea about this dance form. I watched a video of a lady dancing, she was circling her hips and lower back and I was observing her. It was similar to belly dancing but also very different at the same time. Once while I was at a belly dance festival abroad, there was a Tahitian teacher who taught us the basics of this dance form. I related that this dance is similar to the video I’d seen earlier. I connected with this teacher who actually had her original roots from Tahiti and completed my Level 1, 2, and 3 of Tahitian teacher’s training with her and got this beautiful dance form to India.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
You have also collaborated with various celebrities for videos, which one was your favorite experience
Ms.Sanjana Muthreja
I’ve always enjoyed teaching Shanaya Kapoor a lot. Shanaya started learning at a very very young age and she trained for 3-4 years. She finished her training and when she felt that her techniques are strong, she uploaded the videos. Shanaya is super hard working – she’s dedicated a lot of time to belly dancing. Whenever she had free time, we used to train around 3-4 times a week. It’s fun to train her, she’s been my student for the longest time and the results are clearly seen.