BOSTON– Saniya Shah holds a degree in biomedical engineering and her friend and business partner Jyothi Nair holds one in psychology. What do these two first-generation Americans have in common? They have a passion for family values and making Indian-Americans strengthen the family bond and network at reunions and parties.
“Growing up as first-generation Americans we have realized that family is extremely important to us. Events are one of the only times our families, that are scattered both around the country and the world, can come together,” Shah told INDIA New England News. “At these events, dancing together as a family is an important part of our culture. Being so spread apart makes it difficult to choreograph, teach and practice these dances for the special events.”
That is how Shah and Nair founded Kahaani Event Choreography, offering a helping hand in organizing all sorts of family events and reunions.
“We wanted to find a way to solve this problem,” Shah said. “By moving the whole choreography, teaching and practicing process online, we are able to include all the family and friends of our clients on their special day.”
The two founders say that South Asian celebrations are known for being lively and colorful, steeped in religion and customs. While each one is slightly different, there are two things that people find at the heart all of them: music and dance.
Weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, or any party for that matter, are not complete without an energetic, entertaining performance from friends and family. And that is where Shah and Nair think they can play an important role through their venture.
The two women are alumni of an award-winning, competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team. They create original choreography to hit songs, so that it’s one less thing organizers have to do while planning an event.
If you’re in the Boston area, the Kahaani team can provide one-on-one sessions to teach and practice your choreography, making sure you’re ready for the big day.
Kahaani also offers online video tutorials, breaking down each step to its simplest form, so it’ll feel like you’re learning in person, say the founders.
Kahaani strives to make each event lively, memorable, and enjoyable for everyone–whether you’re a couple looking for choreography for your first dance, or a group of friends performing for a birthday.
Shah is from Nashua, NH, and Nair from Washingtonville, NY. Both currently live in Boston.
How do they plan to grow their business?
“In this day and age, interracial marriages are very common. By using our background as a fusion dance team, we create routines to include styles from many cultures. We have routines that combine hip-hop, Bollywood, contemporary and Bhangra (to name a few),” Shah said. “By continuously expanding our database of fusion and single-style routines, we hope to have routines to fit a larger market and bring together families of all cultures.”
Here are the three hot tips for hosting a successful desi event from the founders of Kahaani Event Choreography:
- Provide engaging entertainment through high-energy performances to the latest hit songs.
- Find ways to bring together the whole family during the event.
- Make sure you have a lively dance floor to get the crowd out of the seats and on their feet.
