Karishma Singh is a full-time health professional at the busy Auckland City Hospital and works part-time as a dance teacher at Aaja Nachle. Karishma is loved by all in her current role as a BollyFitness teacher at Glenfield and the headteacher for the Accelerated Crew.
It's a busy role that goes above, and beyond teaching, she is a mentor and instils in her students' life lessons, through her dance lessons.
In a brief conversation, Karishma tells more about her passion for dancing and association with famous Auckland dance group Aaja Nachle.
Tell us about how you first became involved with Aaja Nachle?
Karishma: I first joined Aaja Nachle NZ as part of the North Shore Intermediate class in 2015 when I was in my final year of high school and looking for a new extra-curricular activity. I was recommended Aaja Nachle by a family member in which I then went for my first trial class. I remember being extremely nervous as I was a non-trained dancer, shy, closed off and a very self-conscious teenager.
Jignal was the teacher at the time, and I saw first-hand her passions for Bollywood dance and desire to see her students grow and succeed both in and out of class. Seeing her enthusiasm and dedication, I decided to stick around for more and Aaja Nachle quickly became family!
What made Aaja Nachle special for you?
Karishma: Attending weekly classes, trying new stunts, different Bollyfusion dance forms and performing at a wide range of events taught me so much about body awareness and self-confidence.
It provided a platform where I could engage in my culture and be able to share it with others proudly and openly. By the end of the year, I had a newfound love for Bollywood dance, self-confidence I never dreamt of and developed a strong sense of self-belief and determination. I spent two amazing years at Aaja Nachle before I had to leave temporarily to pursue my degree in Wellington.
Why teach at Aaja Nachle?
Karishma: I wanted to teach at Aaja Nachle as I wanted to be a part of a community who share the same outlooks in terms of wanting to see students flourish, become confident and skilled and share the love for Bollywood.
What brings me back to class each week is knowing that I'm making even the smallest positive impact on someone's life.
Whether it is as simple as sharing a fun class that will be a memory, they cherish or teaching a new skill that will help them become better dancers or people. I feel content knowing I'm giving back what was once given wholeheartedly to me.
Aaja Nachle is a prominent Auckland-based Bollywood dance school that offers multiple classes every week to students at our Glenfield, Mt Roskill, Auckland CBD and Papatoetoe studios. They aspire to create a nurturing environment where people in the community can grow, enjoy themselves, and most of all, express themselves through dance.
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