BOLLYHEALS BIO

BOLLYHEALS

“Bollyheals is a community-focused dance company. Our mission is to empower our members to embrace and enhance their unique personalities. The BH method of teaching blends commercial choreographies with movement therapy interventions introducing you to the transformative power of dance. Through BH our members have gained confidence, advanced their dance skills and developed genuine friendships within a community that uplifts them.

Since its conception in 2017, we have consistently evolved each year to meet the needs of our community from a sensuality-focused Bollywood on Heels dance class to a multidimensional company that offers a range of services. Everything we do is strategically planned to provide you with a physical and emotional transformation that extends beyond your time in the studio. We welcome you to join our family and experience the magic for yourself!”

Bollyheals was founded in May 2017 by the husband-wife duo, Swara & Nico, in New York City. The initial concept was a ‘Bollywood on Heels’ dance class that encouraged South Asian women to embrace their sensuality and promote self-expression. These workshops took place in multiple cities across the US, India, Canada and Australia. By the end of each class, our students felt more confident and deeply connected with their bodies and with others in the room. Our regular students expressed how transformative our classes have been to their personal journey. The format of the workshops empowered them to embrace their unique selves with results extending beyond their time in the studio.

“Watching our students grow from being shy to bold and expressive made us realize that there were more ways to utilize Swara’s training as a movement therapist.”

Following this feedback, Swara developed a program that expanded to more styles of dance that elicit emotions other than sensuality; such as Indo-Contemporary providing a sense of limitlessness or Street Jazz creating a feeling of power. She combined the specific dance techniques with corresponding movement therapy interventions turning every class into an opportunity to unearth a new layer of catharsis. Our students started to develop an advanced outlook towards dance which evolved their relationship with themselves and the community at large.

“My goal as the instructor is to assist students in recognizing their full potential physically and also psychologically. I want to inspire each of our students to move and feel in ways they never thought possible.” - Swara

Nico focuses on capturing videos of students at the height of their emotional expressions in class without interrupting their process. Direct interaction with the camera encourages our students to break out of their shells and command an audience. Nico’s supportive presence assists them in rebuilding their trust in the male energy by allowing them to be vulnerable in class. These videos also help our students track their progress.

Since the conception of Bollyheals, Swara and Nico have conducted hundreds of workshops in 26 cities, spanning six countries. The BH method has expanded to include 8 different styles of dance and continues to evolve. The company now provides one on one sessions targeting specific growth areas for our students. Our new batch of instructors trained under Swara has taken on the NYC and NJ communities with their amazing choreographies. Our behind-the-scenes team comprises members from our community. Many of our students have found lifelong friends, a purpose, confidence, a sense of belongingness, and growth in their dance skills through our classes. Our format has empowered them in their abilities and made them fearless in the face of challenges.

BH is constantly evolving along with its members. Our community has helped BH build in directions we didn’t know we could and we continue to do the same for them. We strive to do our best always and support each other to live up to our full potential.