Core Team

Pia Sutaria is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London, where she received the Disney Theatrical Scholarship, and is also a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, London. Most recently, she played the lead role of “Mala” in the UK tour of Bombay Superstar, and performed in Migrations with the Welsh National Opera and Settling at the Criterion Theatre, London.

With over a decade of international experience, Pia has performed with Navdhara India Dance Theatre across Turkey, Israel, Canada, the USA, and Japan and as a soloist at the NCPA and the Royal Opera House in Mumbai. Pia has also been featured in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Pointe and Elle Magazine and has represented brands such as Schwarzkopf, Lancôme, Dove, Jockey, Puma, and Nike—widely recognized as a pioneering ballerina in India. She was recently invited to share her journey on the globally renowned podcast Why Dance Matters by the Royal Academy of Dance, and gave a TEDx talk on classical ballet in India.

In 2024, Pia founded the Indian Youth Dance Company, directing and curating performances at the NMACC and NCPA, and internationally at The Place and the Royal Academy of Dance in London. In 2018, Pia founded the Institute of Classical and Modern Dance to fill the deep void that existed of vocational dance training for young dancers in India, with a vision to make a professional education in dance accessible to all. The school has since sent students on scholarships to top performing arts institutions in the UK, Europe, and the USA. Pia is now building global partnerships with leading conservatories to bring world-class training and opportunities to young dancers in India.

Jessica Nicholas is a professional dancer, choreographer and movement specialist from Melbourne, Australia. She has over twenty years of experience in teaching, coaching, performing and choreographing a variety of dance styles including Jazz,  Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Heels, Dance Fitness and Calisthenics.
As co-founder of Melbourne based children’s theatre company Silverjay Productions, Jessica also has extensive experience in developing, instructing and directing beginners, children and professional performers in dance and movement for the stage.
Jessica currently freelances as a choreographer and movement specialist. She has recently returned to Melbourne after living in Mumbai, India for 14 years where she was a faculty member at the Institute of Classical & Modern Dance (ICMD), Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company and Shiamak Davar’s Institute for Performing Arts teaching Jazz & Calisthenics. Jessica also runs regular Dance Fitness & Pre-School Creative Movement classes both in person and online.

Sunayana Shetty (IND/DE), is a dancer, choreographer and educator based in Berlin. Her choreographic practice looks into the temporal nature of emotions: how they are constructed and inform behavior. She roots her work in building performative states, merging different narratives and creating intimate spaces between the audience and the performer. Sunayana has completed her Bachelor in Dance, Context, Choreography from the HZT Berlin in 2018.

In 2020, Sunayana and Aabshaar Wakhloo co-curated the AMONG US Platform https://www.instagram.com/amongusbodies/ , an initiative to tap into the joy and importance of sharing dance, movement with dancers and non-dancers alike. Since 2023, the AMONG US Platform continues to facilitate dance workshops in different cities in India. Since 2018, she has shown her works in venues at  Berlin, Lithuania, New York, Mumbai, Estonia among others. She continues to work as a choreographer/performer with artists across Europe and India.

Alicia Misquitta is a dedicated ballet instructor with over 12 years of professional teaching experience. She began her ballet training at the age of 15 and currently leads the children’s ballet division at ICMD. Passionate about dance education, she is in the process of completing her Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) teacher training course to further enhance her expertise. Previously, Alicia played a key role in shaping young dancers as the head of the children’s ballet division and the ballet program for the Professional Dance Program at The Danceworx. In addition to ballet, she has trained in multiple dance styles, including Jazz, Contemporary, Jive, and Modern, giving her a well-rounded approach to movement and performance.
Bio: Alicia Misquitta is a dedicated ballet instructor with over 12 years of professional teaching experience. She began her ballet training at the age of 15 and currently leads the children’s ballet division at ICMD. Passionate about dance education, she is in the process of completing her Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) teacher training course to further enhance her expertise.

Previously, Alicia played a key role in shaping young dancers as the head of the children’s ballet division and the ballet program for the Professional Dance Program at The Danceworx. In addition to ballet, she has trained in multiple dance styles, including Jazz, Contemporary, Jive, and Modern, giving her a well-rounded approach to movement and performance.

Ria Vahi is a Delhi-born, Bombay-based arts administrator and performer with a deep commitment to nurturing creative communities. A graduate of Ohio University, her professional journey spans India and the United States, where she has contributed to a range of artistic and cultural projects. With a focus on arts management, movement-based work, and community engagement, Ria believes in the power of the arts as a space for connection, healing, and dialogue.

Manish Chauhan was born and raised in Mumbai India. He is self-taught in the urban street dance known as b-boying. Manish studied ballet at the Danceworx School in Mumbai under the guidance and mentorship of Yehuda Maor. He completed his dance training at Oregon Ballet theater school in Portland USA and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel and did an International dance program through Peridance, New York. He is a full time company member of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company in New York.

Manish played the leading role in the Netflix film, Yeh Ballet 2020, a fictionalized version of his life. He is also the lead character in the documentary Call Me Dancer 2023. He was featured in many film festivals including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Dance On Camera Film Festival, Doc Edge New Zealand, London Indian Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, San Francisco Dance Film Festival and many more. He also appeared in a feature of Elle magazine, Vogue, Grazia, Point, Deadline, Variety and many other magazines. He made his USA dance debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC where he performed a solo choreographed by Igal Perry, which was also performed at the Alvin Ailey Theatre, Jack H Skirball Center, Meridian International Washington DC, Indian embassy New York, KNJ theater and many more.

Manish has worked with choreographers like Igal Perry, Johannes Wieland, Mike Tyus, Marco Palomino, Garrett Smith, Elisa Clark, Dolly Sfeir, Chanel Dasilva, and many more.