Our roster brings together some of the most prominent professionals in the NYC dance scene. These masters of form – and lifelong advocates of fun – work hard to ensure all our students feel at ease learning techniques, are enjoying themselves, and are truly growing as both dancers and individuals.
Their portfolio needs no explanation, and you can rest assured they’ll refine your technique no matter your level of experience, and get you ready to where you wanna go. Whether it’s the stage, or just your very own Bollywood moment!
Hitesh Thaker
Hitesh, a technologist with a PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering,hails from the balmy city of Mumbai and spends his days ,when he is not dancing, working in the oil industry.
Hitesh started training at age 11 in Western and Bollywood dance. He participated and choreographed numerous performances during his undergraduate and graduate school days.
Upon first moving to New Jersey in 2012, he took his first class at BFunk after which there was no looking back! Hitesh soon found that Bollywood Funk was the only place where he could express his ‘dorky’ self.
In the span of last 8 years, he has grown tremendously as a performer and instructor. His groovy choreographies to 90’s songs are a huge hit amongst Bfunk students. For Hitesh, dancing is happiness and an integral part of his life; he feels privileged to have the ability to share this happiness with others through Bollywood Funk.
Sahil Verma
Sahil’s love for dance only grew with time and he learnt Kathak and bollywood dance at Mudra Dance Studio in Denver,Colorado. Sahil taught Bollywood fusion dance in downtown Denver at BharArt studios before moving to NYC where he reunited with Ayesha!
Dinesh Reddy
“Finance by profession, dance by passion!”
Dinesh is a New York based financial strategy professional currently working as a Manager with Ernst & Young (EY) Advisory services. He is a CAMS professional with expertise across Financial Crimes, Risk, and Regulatory Compliance.
Boy with the golden heart, he’s loved by the BollywoodFunk family and vice versa. He has been a part of group since 2018 and has been an integral part of the dance company’s events and performances ever since. Inspired to dance at the age of 5, Dinesh has been part of multiple street plays and street dance performances to raise money for various nonprofit organizations. After developing a keen interest, he eventually trained in B-Boying and hip-hop and continued that passion into BollywoodFunk, impressing everyone with his refreshing skills and styles. A quick learner and a versatile dancer, he’s known for his quirky style and fluid movements. Besides dance, he loves to travel and enjoys outdoor adventures. He is a total team player, always cheering on his fellow dancers and students. His enthusiastic spirit and a friendly demeanor is what makes him a great Assistant Instructor at Bollywood Funk.
Reme Rashid
Reme is a risk analyst at an asset management firm specialized in corporate credit. While growing up in the vibrant city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Reme was fascinated by Bollywood music and dance. It was when she moved to Massachusetts for college that she got a chance to pursue this dream. Reme was a co-captain of her fusion dance team in college, where she choreographed most of the Bollywood routines and also picked up and performed different styles including hip hop and modern.
Reme joined Bollywoodfunk and started training with Ayesha when she moved to New York City in 2012. She promptly stepped it up to perform at numerous prestigious events and shows with the school. After a brief hiatus while pursuing her CFA designation, Reme came back strong into dancing and there was no looking back. She soon started assisting in classes and then moved on to becoming an instructor at Bollywoodfunk.
Reme’s passion for dance, contagious energy and attention to details are hard to miss for anyone who meets her.
Other interests: volleyball, food, travel
Kalyani Valiyaveettil
Kalyani is student at Columbia University studying Economics. She embarked on her dance journey at the age of 4, training in the styles of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. While pursuing her studies, she embraced Bollywood dance, initially teaching hip-hop and fusion styles to children. Taking her passion abroad, Kalyani spent two years teaching Bollywood in France before making New York her home in 2023.
Soon after moving to the city, Kalyani found BollywoodFunk and decided the join the vibrant team where she teaches Beginners and Naach Xpress classes. Kalyani is also an active member of Columbia University’s dance teams – Taal, a classical dance team, and ONYX, a dynamic hip-hop group. She loves making filmy choreographies to old Bollywood classics and experimenting with classical and contemporary fusion pieces.
Diksha Mishra
Diksha is an emergency medicine doctor who has never been able to let go of her passion for Bollywood and dance. One of her earliest memories is dancing to Madhuri’s Piya Ghar Aaya (and every other Madhuri song) when she was 5 years old. While In college, Diksha has regularly danced on and choreographed for competitive dance teams and started a dance troupe of her own known as Crank It Up A Naach. In medical school, she started the competitive dance team Fanaa at Drexel University. Semi-classical is her favorite style but she loves high energy numbers that emote the classical Bollywood styles of the 90s. Diksha hopes that everyone in her class can get out of their comfort zone and bring out their silliest, craziest, and most care-free selves in a safe space. Dance to her is a way of letting go of all of your inhibitions and tapping into your true expression – whatever that uniquely means to you. She’s wishes to share the pure joy that she feels while choreographing and dancing with everyone in the community.