Feeling incredibly excited to be this year's recipient of Strategy Magazine's New Establishment: Innovator award!
The Innovator category recognizing up-and-coming people in the industry who are doing things differently to produce exceptional work. Honoured to win this for McCann Worldgroup & McCann Canada
Read the article here
I’m so stoked that my first solo installation is showing at the TIFF Picture Palace exhibit! The exhibit is all about the magic of film making, and my piece explores the role of performance in enhancing and furthering narrative in film. Bollywood is the perfect example of an industry where this magic is evident and plentiful.
Each station in TIFF Picture Palace invites you to deepen your knowledge of film, and learn how the art and technique of the movies applies to all the other pictures in your life. The exhibit is fun, interactive, tactile, and so inspiring!
TIFF Picture Palace is open March 2 - July 28 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. Check out https://www.tiff.net/events/tiff-picture-palace/ for information and tickets!
In November I got the opportunity to perform at TedXDownsviewWomen in Toronto. I was asked by the TedXDownsviewWomen team to create a performance that encompassed the theme of the day - ‘Showing Up.’
This performance was created to highlight grace, beauty, and general bad-assery of women in my community who I try to show up for everyday through the art I create. I always try to bring up the women in my industry and act as a mentor to those getting started. I hope this message resonates and that women in the arts continue to show up for the women in our industry and instead of looking at them like competition, lift them up.
Thank you to my wonderful team of BADASS females who worked so hard and brought this to life.
Enjoy!
I can’t believe that just two years after my first show Roots: A Journey Through India, I got the chance to play artistic director and tour ANOTHER production!
For the past 15 months, I’ve been working as a co-director and choreographer of Rihla: From Roots to Dreams. Our core team consisted of Azim Keshavjee (Music Director & Touring/Production Manager), Zaheed Damani (Scriptwriter & Multimedia), Karim Dewji (Al-Waez), Sophia Virani (Logistics) and our fearless leader Munir Budhwani (Member for Arts and Culture and Special Projects, Aga Khan Council for Canada).
We worked endless hours on this project as a team, but we were lucky to have the most amazing artists bringing Rihla to life - our cast and now our family. Thank you to our cast, crew, volunteers, and audiences for this 6 city, 8 show whirlwind that was pure magic and pure love.
Yesterday I sat down with Reshmi Nair of CBC’s ‘Here and Now’ to talk about the series of classes I’m teaching with the Sony Centre in Toronto! Listen below :)
Well this is a HUGE honour! I'll be performing on November 29 at TEDx DownsviewWomen- a TEDx conference about the power of women and girls to be badass creators and big time gamechangers.
My piece features some amazingly talented female dancers from Toronto as well who have been working so hard to craft something amazing with me ❤️ Can't wait to share this with y'all.
Tickets are on sale now at www.tedxdownsviewwomen.com
I'm so honoured to have sat down for this interview with the Huffington Post Canada to talk about my journey, and how for me, Bollywood dance is more than just my art - it signals acceptance. Click here to watch the full video!
Over two weeks in July I got the opportunity to travel to Lisbon, Portugal for the Jubilee Arts International Festival where I coached/mentored the dance teams, put on a few workshops, and also did six surprise performances at all three night shows at the Altice Arena (check my Instagram page's IGTV to watch some of those epic lip sync battles!) I have trouble articulating what the experience meant to me. All the people I met and the experiences we shared grew me as an artist and as a person. When I have trouble putting my feelings into words, I put them into dance. The times when I'm walking around, listening to music, this piece will forever take me back to Lisbon. This is dedicated to all the soul connections I made.
"Souls always connect at the perfect time and place to fulfill an emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual task or karmic bond. We are never connected to anyone just by chance, there is always a higher lesson and deeper message from the Universe. You attract what your energy vibrates."
Sometimes I wonder why people find my life of perfecting a balancing act so interesting - it's my reality every single day, and I often forget that working 24/7 actually ISN'T the norm! Thank you to Adam Stanley & The Globe and Mail for reminding me of that and making me feel special today :)
CBC just launched their top 30 female artists to celebrate International Women's Day. I'm so humbled to have made this list! Check it out here
In honour of the Diamond Jubilee year and upcoming Mulaqaats in Eastern Canada, I put together this tribute dance piece, a fusion of Kathak and Sufi dance choreography. Through my dance journey, this year has been particularly special in that I've found a niche and a love for the exploration of spirituality in my art. Thank you to Alhamra Unplugged and the #AgaKhanMuseum for collaborating with me on this piece that holds such a special place in my heart.
Music: Allah Hoo - Alhamra Unplugged Season 1 (Khalid Khan, Qasim Yousaf, Aqleema Dar, Abubakar Javed) (Check the song out at https://soundcloud.com/alhamraunplugg...)
Male Dancers: Rahim Printer (lead), Gowtham Ratnaraj, Aman Rajput, Irfan Lakhani, Arnold Wallang, Jassy Grewal
Female Dancers: Shereen Ladha (lead), Shaila Premji, Shama Kassam, Karina D'Mello, Zeeanna Ibrahim, Sahar Ibhrahim, Salima Fakirani
Videography: Anil Mohabir (Icon Motion)
Rahim's Costume: Chandan Fashion (@chandanfashion)
FLARE Magazine just published their #HowIMadeIt list that celebrates 100 of the most talented, ambitious and driven Canadian women with cool jobs. I am SO incredibly honoured to be on this list alongside some Canadian women I really look up to. Check out the feature below & thank you to Ken Fong for the photography :)
xo, SL
It was lovely collaborating with the London School of Bollywood while I was in London last month, and playing lead in this piece choreographed by Prasanth Palliath. Loved bonding over our #gottalent experiences and creating art together ❤️ Special thank you to Shiva Raichandani for bringing us together - I knew from the first time we spoke that we would connect the way we did. I'm in love with the way you inspire. Check out the full video and don't forget to subscribe to these guys!
Welcome back #dancewithSL fam! This piece was originally performed as part of my touring show "Roots: A Journey Through India." I'm so drawn to the elegance of this song, and wanted to tell the love story of Radha and Krishna through it. In this piece, Radha and Krishna dance as one, and, just like in their epic tale, Krishna leaves (told through him frozen in time). Radha yearns for him and it's her love that acts as the force that brings him back to her.
This video was shot and edited by the amazing folks at Ethnic Channels Group (ECG). This piece is part of a larger documentary celebrating #Canada150, focusing on the South Asian community in Canada. The director, Irina Volkova, is an amazing artist and producer and did such an amazing job illustrating the diaspora through South Asian music and dance. Watch the full documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoA9tduNy9M&t=105s
or at www.soundsofcanadaseries.com
xo, SL
I am so honoured to be on this list of TOP 100 Dance Channels in the WORLD alongside some of the best in the biz! Seriously, this list includes artists like Matt Steffanina, Dana Alexa, and Tricia Miranda from whom I continuously draw inspiration. Thank you so much Feedspot!
Check out the full list here
HELLO DANCEWITHSL FAM! It's been a hot minute since I've posted on my channel and that's because (you'll already know if you follow me on Instagram)....I've been in LONDON! I journeyed for the first time ever to the UK to teach a Bollywood Master Class and do a special collab (details will be on all my social media about that one!). Thank you so much to the lovely people at Absolute Bollywood for hosting my class at Pineapple Dance Studios, and the BIGGEST thank you to all these talented and hungry souls that came to develop themselves as professional Bollywood dancers. It's the most important thing to always keep training and it was so refreshing to see a group of such talent that completely recognized and embraced the challenge. London, we will meet again soon :)
x, SL
CONTEST ALERT!
I got together with UpsideDown and Urban Asian Music to bring you the #ANAChallenge! Enter for your chance to win some CASH to help your dance & music endeavors....or just go on a shopping spree.
1st place: $500
2nd place: $250
3rd place: $100
HOW TO ENTER:
1. Make a cute video and upload it on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook
2. Tag @djupsidedown @shereenladha @urbanasianmusic (Must be following these accounts)
3. Use the hashtag #ANAchallenge
Submit by July 30, 2017 11:59PM EST. Winners will be announced on Aug 5!
Music: Aaja Ni Aaja - UpsideDown
Choreography: Rohit Rumpal
Director: Anil Mohabir
Cinematography/Edit: Michael Rae (http://raer.co)
My outfit & Jewelry: Chandan Fashion
Hair & Tikka Placement: RJK Mehndi
This week I'm partnering up with Happiness 2 Others this week in a friendly competition with #ShijiniDas to raise money for the Aga Khan Foundation!
For 50 years, the Aga Khan Foundation has been committed to working with communities across Africa and Asia to break the cycle of poverty. The Aga Khan Foundation is different. They don’t just provide services or goods. 100% of your donations go to the programs. They dedicate themselves to partnering with communities to improve their quality of life for decades and generations. As a member of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the world’s leading poverty solutions networks, AKF makes long term investments, from early childhood programs to universities that benefit 2 million students every year. They build hospitals and schools, to make sure everyone has access to world-class institutions. They work with people to serve their community and build their local economy. AKF’s work impacts tens of millions in over 30 countries every year. How are they able to do this? Through partnerships with businesses, local organizations, governments, and people like you!
Make your donations here: https://www.happiness2others.org/ Last day to donate is THIS SUNDAY!
Thanks for your support, my dancewithSL fam!
Happy video day dancewithSL fam!
I got to collaborate with the AMAZING Rajat "Rocky" Batta when I travelled to LA a few weeks ago, and also teach 3 classes at his school "RRB Dance Company"
This one is about a chance encounter - one of those that leads to feel something to instantly and unreasonably.
Enjoy!
Happy video day my dancewithSL fam!
Here’s my latest piece of work to Baarish from the new film Half Girlfriend (0:57 guy doesn’t make an appearance, but hopefully Gowtham @gothamTO will do!) This song is so great and I find it’s always the vocals that really get me in songs like this. Lately, I’ve been feeling really inspired by lyrics and melody, and I’m focused on creating little pieces of art in my videos rather than just straight choreography videos – hope you guys are down with this new direction ☺ Don’t worry, I’ll be back with the Bollywood Hip Hop to all your favourite Bollywood hits soon! Thanks to my friend Anil Mohabir (@anilmohabir) for filming this! Check him out (he’s your expert on all things 360 video!)
Don’t forget to like, comment, SUBSCRIBE, hit that notification button, and ENJOY ☺
xo, SL
