Renu Kansal

From a young age, Renu Kansal’s enthusiasm and passion for dance led her parents to enroll her in ballet classes. The technique and discipline provided a solid foundation to her dance training, but she was still restless for more energetic and compelling styles of dance. Curious and passionate, Renu spent years studying ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop, tap, African, Haitian, salsa, and bharatanatyam dance from some of the world’s foremost dancers. It was only after searching for fulfillment in all these styles that she re-discovered a dance form linked to her own roots, which encapsulated all the elements she loved about dancing: Bollywood.

Photos by Erik Schiffbaum

On a visit home to India several years ago, Renu discovered Bollywood movies and the cornerstone of the Indian film style—bollywood dancing. Stylistically, that was the turning point for Renu. Bollywood dance provided the contagious energy, expressive beauty, and unparalleled passion and spirit she’d been searching for in all her years of dance training.

In 2003, Renu began working with Pooja Narang, of New York City’s Bollywood Axion. Pooja’s innovative and visionary style of dance was formative to shaping Renu’s experience and training in Bollywood dance. Renu performed with Bollywood Axion through 2005, and worked with Pooja to grow Bollywood Axion, developing a role as Company Manager and eventually as Pooja’s teaching associate.

Renu’s bi-cultural upbringing and interests give her a unique ability to teach the Indian style of dance in language that a non-Indian student can understand. “Everyone can dance, it just takes a patient and compassionate teacher, who can break down each dance step, to the point where students will understand the simplicity at the core of it and feel natural in their movements,” she says. “Dance is easy to learn, but so often people are intimidated by the misconception that dance isn’t accessible without the perfect body or years of technique and training. It’s sad, because it’s just not true."

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