Denise Sonali Ramdawah knew at the tender age of 3 that the art of dance was her true calling. In fact, as she grew
older, her love for dancing only became stronger.
It was this intense love for the art that prompted the 28-year-old to start the Nritya Priya Dance Co. located in Queens, New York in 2015.
However, a sure to be lifelong career didn’t just begin on pure passion. Denise’s religion, Hinduism, played a huge part in this outcome.
Denise is a classically trained dancer, specializing in Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi. She explained that growing up in the Hindu community and going to the Mandir every Sunday helped her to understand the stories and characters she depicted in her dances. She added, “Listening to the Pandit read from our scriptures and explain its meanings helped me to understand the sentiments and emotions of the characters. It made me a greater dancer.”
Granted, Denise was not born a Hindu, like so many followers of the faith. She, however, gravitated towards it at a very young age. “When I was born, my parents were separate religions. My dad was Hindu and my mom was Christian. I grew up in both religions; studying and understanding the Bhagavad Gita as well as the Bible. But at 2, my parents noticed that I started to gravitate towards Hinduism and go to the Mandir more. And at age 3, when I started my classical dance training, my mom and I ‘converted’ and became Hindu.”
As for how her training as a professional dancer got started, Denise related that dance classes were vital. She said that although her classes ran from 9 to 10 AM every Saturday, she would remain until 12 or 1 PM to watch the older girls dance and teachers practice. “Watching them pushed me to be better; it gave me something to strive towards, to better my skills.” Denise’s first sessions encompassed lessons in the Kathak and Bharatnatyam dances. After she graduated from this level, she joined the Natraj Cultural Group, now known as the Natraj Center for Performing Arts. There, she learned Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Bollywood. She, then, moved on to Smt. Sadhana Paranji, where she learned and continued to train in the Kuchipudi dance style.
Not only were these dance lessons optimal in the building of her career, but Denise also drew lessons from her dance instructors themselves, which continue with her to this very day.
“I was very shy growing up and the one thing I can distinctly remember is that all my teachers had incredible facial expressions and body language. They didn’t just dance with their feet and hands, their entire bodies moved. From their eyebrows to their shoulders to the tips of their toes were engaged in the dance movement. Their entire bodies danced and that’s what inspired me and continues to motivate me to develop my skills.”
Denise said that after training and performing and gaining much exposure and knowledge in the art of dancing, she decided that it was time that she passed that knowledge on to younger generations of dancers.
“That’s what drove me to start the Nritya Priya Dance Co. I wanted to teach and share all the knowledge, skills and techniques of dance with children who enjoy it as much as I do.”
Denise started the school with just three students who wanted to learn Indian classical dance but also wanted to be exposed to and learn techniques from other dance forms as well.
Although she specializes in Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi, Denise is also trained in Kathak, Odissi, Ballet, Jazz, Ballroom and contemporary lyrical. Having all of these styles under her belt, she says, allowed her to create and merge different styles together in dance items and this is what attracted her students to her.
Today, the class has 15 students, ranging from ages 4 to 24.
“Dance doesn’t have an age limit for us. If you can move and you want to dance, we will dance with you,” she encouraged.
For this year’s Diwali celebration, Denise shared that some of her students will be performing at their schools’ cultural festival, representing Diwali and performing in dedication to her mother who sadly passed away in January of this year.
“In past years, for Diwali, we would light diyas at the altar and hold a small recital at the dance school and the students would perform for their parents. We will continue the tradition this year, in honor and remembrance of my mom, in honor of the many we have lost this year and to celebrate the life all moms have given to us. Diwali is about spreading light and love and celebrating the life we have and the love we are filled
with. And that’s exactly what we will do. Our students wouldn’t have anything less,” she said.
Denise took the opportunity to wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous Diwali on behalf of the Nritya Priya Dance Co. and her family.
