Meet the Dancers
Monica Bhatt
Monica grew up in a rich artistic environment with extensive classical training in both dance and music. She completed her arangetrum in Bharata Natyam under the tutelage of guru Sudha Chandrasekhar and is a featured dancer in the book Hands Across Michigan. Born and raised in Michigan, she now happily calls California home. Leading Taal since 2006, her performance highlights include AR Rahman at the Hollywood Bowl to dancing alongside Christina Aguilera in an international release Pepsi commercial, to performing with legendary De La Soul’s DJ Maseo at Downtown LA’s infamous Firecracker hip hop night. Passionate about music, she is trained in north Indian classical vocals and harmonium, and has even collaborated with international pop and indian classical artists alike. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she now works in Aerospace and is currently attending UCLA Anderson by night.
Email: moc.ecnadlaat@acinoM
Sri Keshava
Australian-born Sri Keshava developed a passion for the spiritual arts of India during her three-year sabbatical as a Vaishnav monk. She went on to front the New York outfit Baby Gopal and play guitar for the seminal yogi-punk band Shelter, releasing several CDs and touring the world. She maintains a love of kirtan, bhajans and global music. With a penchant for real estate and in particular all things green, she has been featured in the media as host of “Gorgeous Green Homes”, eco-writer for Yogi Times, contributor to Asset Watcher Magazine and currently writes for The Washington Times Online. She is the author of the forthcoming memoir: Gurus, Rock Stars & the Men In Between. Her classical Indian dance training is in Odissi with Guruji Nandita Behera, Odissi Dance Circle, Mohini Attam with Radha Carmen, Kerala Dance Theatre, and light training in Kathak with Prachi Dixit, Nupur Dance Academy. With a western dance background in ballet and modern, Sri loves to cross disciplines while retaining the sanctity and purity of each style. She brings her artistic expertise to Taal, contributing original choreography and the collective’s costume designs. She is available for workshops and private lessons.
Email: moc.ecnadlaat@irS
Website: www.SriMusic.com
Meena Serendib
Born in the UK, Meena Serendib was raised in Northern California. Her Bharatanatyam training began at a young age via community culture shows and local programs. She formally trained under Smt. Sundara Swaminathan in the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Meena continued her training and expanded her vocabulary of this art form under the tutelage and varying styles of Smts. Viji Prakash and Malathi Iyengar. Having graduated from UCLA with a degree in Theatre and a minor in French Literature, Meena remains based out of Los Angeles. As a dancer, she has performed in various shows and campaigns, as a choreographer in 2005's YouthWallah showcase to performing as a principal dancer alongside Christina Aguilera in an international Pepsi campaign. Television credits include Bones, Trauma, and CSI:NY as well as national commercials for Verizon, IBM, and ESPN.
Email: moc.ecnadlaat@aneeM
Website: www.MeenaSerendib.com
Eswari
Eswari is an accomplished dancer and choreographer with over twenty years of experience in the performing arts. She began her training in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi in Houston, TX, and later went to India to pursue a rigorous program in Kuchipudi, dance theory, and music under the guidance of Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam (Kuchipudi Art Academy, Chennai). By the age of sixteen, Eswari had performed and toured internationally, begun teaching dance classes at the Anjali School of Dance (Houston, TX), and choreographed a number of Indian Classical and Bollywood pieces. After training extensively in Indian Classical dance, Eswari developed an interest in fusing Indian Classical dance with other styles and began taking classes in modern, hip hop, ballet, and Kathak. Her diverse and distinct background led her to become the artistic director for the Urban Indian Beat (Houston based fusion dance company) and the founder and director of Mahira Dance Company (Houston based Bollywood Dance Company).
Email: moc.ecnadlaat@irawsE
Co-Founders
Credits and much gratitude to the Co-Founders of Taal:
- Neera Chanani
- Astha Singhal
- Rashmi Goel Bhagat