For Neha Patel, teaching Bharatanatyam has always been a lifelong dream. Growing up, she learned Bharatanatyam in Gujarat, India under the guidance of her Guruji, Mrs. Khamma Shah. She completed her arangetram at the age of fourteen and an advanced course at the age of sixteen. 

Soon after she had had graduated from college, Neha went to pursue her career as a chemical engineer: “When I started my career as a chemical engineer, I had to write down my life goals in a professional workshop journal. In the journal, I had written down that my life goal is ‘to teach Bharatanatyam’. After a decade of being in the professional field as a chemical engineer, and becoming a mother to two children, I decided to follow my passion for Bharatanatyam as a full time dance teacher.”  

After meeting with her teacher in 2010, she started teaching to her daughter and a few of her friends. Realizing how learning Bharatanatyam had a positive influence in these student’s lives, Neha was inspired to start her own dance school in 2012.

In 2017, Neha completed a three-year course in Bharatanatyam and received her diploma from JG College of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, India under the guidance of Guru Bijoy Shivram. Today, the school has grown from a handful of students to over sixty students in the span of three locations.  In the summer of 2019, Neha directed her first three arrangetrams, a major milestone for a Bharatanatyam dance academy. Neha is a well-respected dance teacher due to her passion and dedication. By creating a welcoming and nurturing environment, Neha is able to inspire her students to strive for excellence through her fun and disciplined style of teaching. She hopes that teaching Bharatanatyam will help her current and future students understand more about the Indian roots and culture in today’s generation.