Ishaara and DJ Ravidrums rocked the house at the historic Westin Seattle for the Gift of Health Gala, honoring Innovators in Health Award recipient Christine Gregoire, former governor of Washington and leader in improving childhood immunization rates and expanding access to health care statewide.

Video Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnS-2IZo8xA
IDEA Photo Gallery: http://bollyx.com/events/idea-world-2014/

BollyX is a Bollywood-inspired dance-fitness program that combines dynamic choreography and intensive workouts with the hottest music from around the world. Its 50-minute cardio workout cycles between high and low-intensity dance sequences to get you moving, sweating, and, most importantly, motivated all at the same time. At the very core of a BollyX workout is the inspiration it draws from the music and dance of Bollywood, the film industry of India. We embody the infectious energy, expression and movement of Bollywood and aim to expand the reach of fitness to more people worldwide.

BollyX is the world’s fastest growing Bollywood-inspired dance fitness program. With 200 instructors trained and 16 states already launched within the US in less than 1 year, BollyX is taking the world by storm!

BollyX is the Bollywood workout, a fitness program that combines dynamic choreography and intensive workouts with the hottest music from around the world. Its 50-minute cardio workout cycles between high and low-intensity dance sequences to get you moving, sweating, and, most importantly, motivated all at the same time. At the very core of a BollyX workout is the inspiration it draws from the music and dance of Bollywood, the film industry of India. We embody the infectious energy, expression and movement of Bollywood and aim to expand the reach of fitness to more people worldwide.

BollyX, the Bollywood workout, is the world’s fastest growing Bollywood-inspired dance fitness program. With 200 instructors trained and 16 states already launched within the US in less than 1 year, BollyX is taking the world by storm!

BollyX is the world’s fastest growing Bollywood-inspired dance fitness program. With 200 instructors trained and 16 states already launched within the US in less than 1 year, BollyX is taking the world by storm!

Shahil works directly with event planners, set designers, motion picture directors, game developers, as well as designers of theme parks and resort environments.  He has a granular knowledge of different Indian art forms, both modern and traditional, and continuously leverages his personal relationships within the Bollywood community.  With his guidance, Shahil’s clients have been able to navigate the complex cultural mosaic that forms the Indian subcontinent, staying true to that which is authentic without inadvertently crossing cultural or religious taboos.  Furthermore, they have been empowered to design experiences that are tailored to a wide range of audiences, inclusive of ethnic groups across both hemispheres.

Shahil graduated from the University of California – Berkeley with a double major in Economics and Psychology, and minor in Management of Innovation.  He currently works full time as a Management Consultant at Accenture, aligned to Corporate Growth Strategy.

“The accomplishment I am most proud of is my journey in leading an intercollegiate Bollywood dance team to become a nationally recognized dance company.  From 2007 to 2009, I led UC Berkeley’s 20-member competitive Bollywood dance team to six 1st place finishes nationwide.  Throughout my experience, not only did I fall in love with Bollywood, but I also learned the core values of leadership, perseverance and teamwork.  These principles ultimately helped me guide my team to become the first-ever Indian group on NBC’s TV show “America’s Got Talent!”  Selected in the top 40 of 200,000 acts nationwide, my team was able to leave a lasting positive impact on our global South Asian community,” said this young dancer cum executive consultant.  ”I further pushed our team’s boundaries by incorporating Ishaara, a unique company that provides Bollywood dance entertainment to corporate buyers and event planners worldwide.  Amidst a struggling economy, I invested thousands of dollars into my business, as well as countless hours into planning and managing daily operations.  Consequently, we have been able to grow our brand across the country, perform with the likes of Diana Ross and Enrique Iglesias for prestigious companies such as Wal-Mart and Pepsi, and give back to our community through many performances at various non-profits.  Moreover, we have become uniquely positioned to train the next generation of leaders within the South Asian dance community with new programs such as “Ishaara Juniors” – a youth development initiative that will give a select group of children the opportunity to train intensively with experienced members of Ishaara.  It is this type of positive impact that will continue to make Ishaara one of my life’s most meaningful journeys.”

On making changes in the world, Shahil offered this, “If I could change one thing in the world, it would have to be cultural intolerance.  From the Crusades, to the Holocaust, to the War on Terror, history has shown that some of our world’s most destructive conflicts are rooted in cultural intolerance.  Furthermore, as the divide between countries continues to shrink due to new technology and global economic advancement, the need for cultural tolerance will only continue to grow.  Thus, if we are to achieve collective success as a global society, I believe we all need to open our minds to different cultures and perspectives worldwide.”

His parents have always had the greatest and most positive influence on him throughout my life he states.  Beyond teaching him to always believe in himself and push yourself and learn from failure, his parents instilled unique values that he says have really been the foundation for his success.  Shahil says, “One simple mantra from my father perhaps played the biggest role in my development which was to be a Jack of all trades, master of none.  This guidance encouraged me to try different things rather than focus on any one specific activity.  For example, it led me to try soccer in high school, despite physical limitations related to my weight.  It also led me to learn how to simultaneously manage school, sports, dance and work in college.  My parents never let me give up on anything, and this emphasis on a well-balanced upbringing really set me up for success in ‘the real world.’   These values continue to tangibly impact and positively shape my decision-making process today.”

But with all his incredible dancing success, it might shock readers to know that he never danced prior to college.  In fact, he says he used to despise dancing as a kid. He didn’t mind being on center stage to sing with his sister, but then once puberty set in and his voice began to crack, he looked for a new hobby.  He tried out for his university’s Bollywood dance team as a freshman, and remarkably just barely made the team.  ”Through patience, perseverance, and an analytical approach to learning, I discovered and developed my greatest passion: Bollywood dance,” says Shahil. With a promising professional prospects and with an amazing dancing journey, Shahil Patel’s voice doesn’t ever crack when he is shouting “Balle Balle”!

In 2008, IGN broke the hearts of videogame fans everywhere with its surprisingly awesome trailer for a movie based on The Legend of Zelda - a movie which didn’t actually exist. April Fools, everyone! “IGN Video doesn’t usually do grandiose productions, but we always like to come out swinging for April Fools’ Day,” Fran Mirabella, Director of IGN Video, explained to The Escapist - but how do you top something as notorious as the Zelda movie trailer?

The answer: You do one for beloved shooter series Halo, but you give it a Bollywood-style twist. It wouldn’t have been enough to do a regular fakeHalo trailer, said Mirabella, because nobody would have believed that it was real after the Zelda prank. “So, the whole setup of the trailer is that during the first 15-20 seconds you think IGN just made another serious attempt at portraying Halo: The Motion Picture. Not that unthinkable,” explained Mirabella. “We wanted everyone to think, ‘Oh, nice try IGN! Fool me once…’ Then, when Master Chief’s helmet comes off, you realize we’re doing a Halo Bollywood trailer. Fooled you twice.”

The idea had been to do a Bollywood-style Halo movie from the start thanks to IGN founding father Peer Schneider. As fortune would have it, while looking for Bollywood talent to make it happen, production director Caleb Lawson saw a clip of dance troupe Ishaara performing on America’s Got Talent - and it was a perfect fit. “[W]e immediately knew we had to work with them,” said Mirabella. “Then when we started talking to them, we discovered some of the troupe already knew about IGN and were fans of Halo.”

It isn’t just Halo, either, said Ishaara Co-Director Shahil Patel. “Most of our team is comprised of college students born and raised in America. Halo was the game we all played throughout high school, just like Super Mario Bros. was the game we all played as kids. I don’t think any of us are gamers anymore, but we used to play tons of games like Counterstrike, Splinter Cell, Zelda, Smash Bros., FIFA, NBA/NFL Live, Starcraft, WoW, GTA, Diablo … the list goes on.”

The trick was to blend the essence of Bollywood cinema with the essence of Halo, which Mirabella said was a bit like taking “two volatile chemicals and [shaking] them up just to see what kind of insane, Technicolor explosion we would get.” Bollywood films are a “very rich, involved performance art,” and the team worked hard to combine the traditional over-the-top, high-energy performance with the epic space opera and “really sweet, cinematic shots” of Halo.

Once production started in earnest, said Mirabella, it only took a few weeks to put together – with music composed by Chris Tilton, the man who did the tunes heard in Mercenaries 2 (and who works on Fox’s Fringe) and lyrics translated internally. The result was one hilarious trailer that I chose as the officially unofficial winner of April Fools 2010, and something that Halo fans will probably be bitter about for years to come. Well, the ones without a sense of humor will, anyway.

View Full Article at The Escapist Magazine

All of us, teachers included (special shout-out to Ms. Jennings!), made our way to the “cafetorium” (cafeteria + auditorium) where I fiddled around with the speaker system, jumped on stage, and played the song they were about to dance to… Dhinka Chika! I chose this song because in true Bollywood style, it’s a love song, but one with a chorus easy to lip synch and lyrics (in Hindi) suitable for 10 year olds. But more importantly, as a song that was made to be danced to, its upbeat tempo seemed to be a perfect match for a whole group of highly energetic kids.

After about an hour (and a GREAT workout), we were done! I was surprised at how excited they were to try out steps they’ve never tried before, how quickly they picked up the moves, and how much they enjoyed the dance, asking repeatedly if they could practice from the top over and over again. I also thought it would be fun at the end to give all the girls bindis they could wear on the day of their actual performance. Once back in the classroom, I spent a little time with them, learning about their state projects (I remember 5th grade…  my state was Minnesota!) and looking at some of their slideshows, then said goodbye as they ran off to their last class of the day: Physical Education. Wow, kids have so much energy!

Overall, I had a great day and it turned out to be a wonderful experience. There is nothing I love more than kids taking such an interest in a different culture, and having fun at the same time. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it to watch their final performance in 2 weeks, but I wish them all the best of luck and can’t wait to see a video of the performance!

While King Khan already has his wax statue at the Madame Tussauds in London along with other Bollywood stars, he is the first and only Bollywood actor whose statue is present at the Madame Tussauds in Los Angeles. However, his wax statuette here would be kept for a limited engagement only till the 30th of April. The buzz is that the statue cost a whopping $ 3,00,000 to make.

While King Khan himself couldn’t be present during the unveiling, the function was a grand event with an appearance by America’s premier Indian dance company and recent America’s Got Talent contender, ISHAARA.

View Full Article at Bollywood Hungama

Please email us at auditions@ishaara.com for an application.  We have several openings we are looking to fill immediately.

Thanks!!

“The people there were extremely talented,” Thakur recalls. “It was a very humbling experience.”

It all started last spring when another Ishaara dancer got the idea to try out for the show. Viswanathan and Thakur joined a small subset of the team who traveled to Los Angeles to audition in May. They were selected to participate in the live TV show and for four weeks in August and September competed against 47 other acts in hopes of impressing the show’s three judges and its TV audience enough to win $1 million and a headline show in Las Vegas.

“At each round, I thought, ‘This is as far as we’ll get,’ and then we got a little farther,” adds Viswanathan, this year’s head captain. “Each round was a gift. Priceless. It was fun.”

Love has a way of being fun, and Viswanathan and Thakur love Bollywood dance, those energetic musical numbers popularized in India’s Bollywood films. In keeping with the genre, almost every dance routine involves a love story with a happy ending. “It’s West Side Story plus High School Musical times a lot of color,” explains Thakur.

Viswanathan and Thakur have been dancing to Bollywood music since age six. “My mom made me do it,” quips Viswanathan, smiling. Thakur nods in agreement; his mom also enrolled him in a local children’s dance group. It was a way to keep American-raised children steeped in Indian culture. By high school, both teens were hooked. “This was my niche, and I instantly wanted to be the best at it,” Viswanathan says.

A group of now-graduated students first formed Cal’s Bollywood dance team in 2001. The most recent iteration, Ishaara (which means symbolic foreshadowing or a glimpse of things to come in Hindi), competes at several collegiate competitions every year; in 2008, the team won Best of the Best and this year took third at Bollywood Berkeley.

Like so many relationships, Ishaara is a time-intensive one. Since joining their freshman year, Viswanathan and Thakur, who first met on the team, spend up to 25 hours a week at dance practice, which often takes place at night in an underground parking lot. That doesn’t include travel to competitions and the day-to-day operations associated with being in a dance troupe.

How do they do it as engineering students?  “It’s tough,” says Viswanathan, who is also involved in insect biology research this semester. “At the end of the day, it’s about balancing academics, extracurricular activities and social stuff. I don’t have much time for relaxation.”

Both men bring an engineering mindset to the group, from using math to help time their choreography to making props, as well as an engineer’s sense of perfection. “You put in all this time and effort for eight happy minutes on stage,” Thakur explains. “When the music starts, you have to perform. The audience has to love what you’re doing. No mistakes.” Dancing is also a welcome break from classes, he says.

So what is Viswanathan and Thakur’s happy ending? Both hope to go to medical school after graduation, they say, but won’t rule out pausing those plans to dance if the opportunity arises. Bollywood, a shameless flirt, beckons.

View Full Article at Center of Innovation at UC Berkeley

More details coming soon!

Despite falling short in making the next round on NBC’s hit show America’s Got Talent last week, members of Ishaara said performing before a national audience would aid their efforts to make Bollywood dancing a more mainstream element in American culture.

The group was founded two years ago by UC Berkeley students Shahil Patel and Sian Bentson, who both graduated last May. Out of the 20 current and former UC Berkeley student members, 10 were given the chance to perform on the show when the group was first featured last month.

After several months of dance practice leading up to their debut on the show, the group beat out more than 70 other Bollywood dance teams to become the sole representative of the style on the show in July, said Patel, a double major in economics and psychology.

Though relatively unknown to their peers on campus, Ishaara has won first place in many local competitions from Bollywood Berkeley to competitions across the country like Phillyfest, a major South Asian dance festival in Philadelphia, Pa.

By the time their audition tape was viewed by the show’s casting directors, the group had already made a name for itself within the South Asian community nationwide, said Nickesh Viswanathan, a Ishaara member who performed on the show.

“We feel pretty unknown on campus and that’s partially our fault,” he said. “But in the South Asian community we’re pretty well known.”

Ornate and colorful costumes, playful gestures and an ability to engage the audience caught the notice of the show’s judges, including former newspaper editor Piers Morgan who described their performance as “unbelievably exciting to watch, original and fresh.”

Patel and Bentson said that the experience and support they received while filming for the show was rewarding.

“It’s nice to be recognized for what we did because we put a lot of effort into it,” Patel said. “It’s exciting for us to see that the school and people affiliated with the school are supporting us. We did our best to represent Berkeley on the show.”

Bentson, who graduated with an environmental science degree, said that she studied tap dancing for ten years before trying Bollywood dance. In contrast, Patel had little interest in dancing before coming to UC Berkeley.

“I never liked dancing growing up, I was anti-dance,” Patel said. “But when I came to UC Berkeley, I thought to try something different and it has the competitive drive and a lot of skills and footwork.”

They said the experience would aid them in fulfilling the group’s long-term ambitions.

“America’s Got Talent was a good avenue for (Ishaara) because it’s a variety show,” Patel said. “It’s not limited to one dance style or any style of talent. It provided the best avenue for us to showcase Bollywood dance.”

Bentson added that since their first television appearance in July, changes have been made in future plans.

“We’re hoping to take our team to a more professional level,” she said. “That would be my ideal profession right now. I am hoping this can open a lot of doors for us. I don’t really see myself having a normal, mindless job.”

View Full Article at The Daily Californian

More details coming soon!