Passion Mission Vocation,Profession
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About the Founder
POOJA UBEROI
Pooja Uberoi is the Artistic Director and owner of IKIGAI USA and loves helping people follow their passion and create opportunities for artists in the USA and INDIA.
Pooja Uberoi is recognized globally as a Bollywood dance director and choreographer and has been responsible for some of the biggest Bollywood musicals in India and the US. She has been part of some of the best Bollywood films such as Tamasha, Jab We Met and No one Killed Jessica.
She has spent the majority of her career in the Dance, entertainment and Television industry, gaining experiences in areas such as Dancing, Teaching, Choreographing, Producing Festivals and Musicals and Creating digital content for Social media.
As a Dancer Pooja has been part of many dance and theatre shows touring India, Israel and the USA. She has also been part of a Fitness show by Reebok called “Bootylicious”. She has choreographed for Sesame Street kids.
She has Directed two Bollywood Musicals in India and USA which toured Israel, South Africa, China and Germany. She has Choreographed many Bollywood musicals including a Kids Musical - “Wizwits” based on Wizard of Oz.
While she manages the community and the digital marketplace for Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce which is her primary job function by day, she is focussed on creating something unique and special for the dance world with her brand “BollyJazz” - a fusion of styles.
Pooja has been producing a dance festival in New York for the last few years called NYC DANCE WEEK which attracts artists from all over the globe who participate. She is also a curator for Funkar, a performance night for emerging artists in New York City.
She is currently expanding and setting up her yoga and dance school in Florida.
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Pooja is working on creating and training instructors for her new style BollyJazz.
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IKIGAI also has their own movement wear called Wear Ikigai especially created by Pooja with her experience over the years.
more About the Artistic Director
Pooja Uberoi Is a trained Jazz, Contemporary, Classical Ballet, Kathak and Bharatnatyam Artist. She has also trained in Chau Folk Dance, Latin Ballroom, Hip-hop, Acro-Yoga, Yoga, Theatre, and Choreography Composition.Pooja has also trained at the Broadway Dance Centre, New York; at Alvin Ailey, New York; at Hubbard Street Dance, Chicago; and at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, San Francisco.
Performances at major events include: NDTV Gadget Guru Awards (2012), EEMA Awards (2012), Global Indian Music Awards (2011), 1000 Day Countdown to Commonwealth Games XIX (2008), Hungry Heart Festival (2007), International Film Festival of India opening ceremony (2006), Tribute to R.D. Burman, musical concert with Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy in Goa (2006), and the Commonwealth Games XVIII Queen's Baton Relay (2005).Her film performances include: Aisha (director Rajshree Ojha, choreographer Ashley Lobo).
Television performances include the show Reebok Life on NDTV Good Times .
Pooja has choreographed for both stage and film.
Choreographies for theatrical productions & shows include: Experimenta (2012 & 2013), One Year Celebration of Jhumroo 2013 (choreographed & directed the event), and Salaam India (2008). Pooja was also assistant choreographer on Jhumroo, the Kingdom of Dreams production.
20 years of Experience in the field of Dance and Choreography
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Pooja has worked with curating 102 shows for a Bollywood Musical from India called Namaste India and performing with Dolly Parton at Dollywood Parks and many other venues in the USA and Canada.
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Pooja was on the Board of one of the biggest Jazz dance schools in India and the General Manager of the Dancewerx
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Pooja was heading a studio 800 students
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Pooja has been the choreographer with Navdhara India Dance Theatre - “A Passage to Bollywood”
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Pooja has trained some of the biggest Indian Bollywood stars to dance in Films and Live theatre
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She is the Choreographer for The Big Fat Brown Show
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Pooja is the Producer and Curator for NYC Dance Week
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Pooja was the show running director for the Only Broadway Theater in India “Kingdom of Dreams” _ "Jhumroo"
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Pooja has been a choreographer for Sesame Street for Kids
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Pooja has been on a Fitness show for Reebok called “Bootylicious “
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Pooja recently directed a Full length theatre musical for NJPAC Festival with Hasan Minhaj as part of the show.
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Pooja has performed and taught her class for the CBS Morning Show
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Pooja is a certified Hatha Yoga teacher and Zumba teacher.
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Pooja has been featured on Broadway world, Radio Free Brooklyn and Pod de Deux which had guests such as Sonya Tayeh and Richy Jackson
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Pooja has taught her classes at Joffrey Ballet and Capezio Flagship, NYC
Pooja has also been a New York Ambassador for Dance USA Dance which featured Matt Steffanina and Lauren Gottlieb
Pooja's vision is to experience dance and its various facets and spread the message of international dance. She also wants to promote Bollywood and Broadway musicals as a viable and credible form of entertainment, creating opportunities for young artists by educating them and the society about dance as a serious vocation and profession. She work with artists from Indian and USA for cross cultural exchanges to spread this mission.
What is BollyJazz?
Bollywood Dance Meets Jazz
As the name suggests BollyJazz is a mix of Bollywood and Jazz Dance moves. Bollywood Dance is a mix of dance styles performed in Bollywood films, including traditional Indian styles of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, folk styles, and modern Jazz, Hip Hop or Belly Dance. Jazz gives a dancer form and style while Bollywood allows you to experience and open up the body in a fun way.
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It's not just a fitness class, its a dance class! This 60 minute class begins with the Warm up using Jazz style of Dance using structure and form making sure the body is ready to take the next 30 mins of high energy Bollywood dance routine and De-structure thereafter.
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The class can help you burn more than 600 calories and you have a routine ready to show off for the next Bollywood party!
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BollyJazz is taught by Pooja Uberoi who combines her influences from her Indian heritage with 20 years experience in the dance and fitness industry to create an exotic and unique high-energy calorie-burning cultural dance experience, that will utilize all the muscles in your body. Traditional Bollywood beats set the tone for the warm up and breaking down the moves, and popular Indian movie tracks are used for the dance jam section– where you’ll be sure to get a full body workout
