"I travel both nationally and internationally, meet lots of people and I am my own boss"

Hometown
London

What do you do?
Freelance dance artist, artistic director and choreographer

What have you done in theatre?
Movement director on Stephen Beresford’s Twelfth Night at the Albery Theatre; I have performed throughout the UK, India and Europe and toured for five years nationally and internationally with DJ Ritu’s Sister India, a unique show with a ground-breaking mix of live music, dance, visuals and turn-table trickery, and Emergency Exit Arts’ Runga Rung, a dynamic fusion of British urban life, contemporary British Asian culture, South Asian traditions, Carnival and Fiesta.

Sister India was nominated for the BBC Asia Music Award 2001; dancer and choreographer for Bollywood films, television and commercials.

From 1998 to 2001, I worked part time for Akademi, South Asian dance in the UK, as dance training officer, developing dance-training projects for artists of South Asian dance.

Do you have qualifications?
Degree in Kathak (classical Indian dance) from Mumbai, India
Nine O-levels (like GCSEs from the olden days)

What did you want to be when you grew up?
An actress and a dancer

What do you do all day?
Performing and choreography in professional theatre, schools and community, running my project The Reel Bollywood which is making new music, dance and film with young people from the inner cities

What’s the best thing about your job?
I am passionate about what I do. I enjoy every minute, have great job satisfaction, every day is different, I travel both nationally and internationally, meet lots of people and I am my own boss.

And the worst?
Scratching around for funding, and the public sector not understanding the worth of artists

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I would like to do more work as an artistic director which would allow me to create a vision, and as a producer, which means I would be able to put a team together to make the vision happen.

Got any wise words advice for someone who wants to be where you are now?
A lot of people will try and put you off working in the arts because it is not as safe and secure as a 9-5 job, but the satisfaction you will get pursuing and working in something you are passionate about is priceless. There are many different types of jobs in the arts, definitely go for it.