Passionate, enthusiastic, and crazy for dance, Sonia Khatwani is one such girl whom I met in her dance workshop and was struck by her sheer passion for Zumba and Bollywood
dance. Sonia is a talented and certified Zumba Fitness Instructor and Bollywood dance choreographer in Singapore. What makes her different is her contagious energy while training people and continuous efforts to reach out to as many people and make Zumba dance as a popular dance for fitness. She has not only reached out to housewives, school students, college groups, conducted corporate workshops, but also choreographed performances for weddings, festivals, community center programs, hospital staff, associations, colleges, clubs, various events in Singapore and her clients belong to all races. Sonia is also a Dance Choreographer & Fitness Instructor with Bollydancing Studio Singapore. This video speaks a lot about her passion for dance –
https://www.facebook.com/DynamicDreamz2014/videos/1636586766592721/
Women lines is proud to share her entrepreneurial dance journey in her own words-
1.Please share to the readers’ something about yourself?
My name is Sonia Khatwani. I was born in Mumbai and brought up in Singapore. I love spreading joy & seeing everyone happy. I love Dance. I feel I am born to dance and express myself through dance. It has been a passion since I was 7 years old. I owe heartfelt thanks to my Mom who has been a big support in my journey to pursue my passion.
I am a crazy fan of Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor. I love her acting skills, confidence & she has been an amazing inspiration to me. One of our common goals was losing weight and if you have watched her journey it says it all.
2.So when did you ventured into this venture and what inspired or motivated you to take a plunge into this venture?
Dancing has always been my passion but didn’t see it coming along as a career. I started working since 18 years old in various fields but just wasn’t satisfied with any of the jobs. An opportunity knocked my door in 2008 to be trained at the Bollywood Dance Academy by well known A-list Celebrity Choreographer Toby Fernandez from ‘ Jhalak Dikhlaja’s Fame.’ I have also performed for many regional celebrated projects such as Relive Pancham 2008, at the Esplanade Theater, Bollywood Cutting Edge at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, & most notably alongside Bollywood’s Biggest star Mr. Shah Rukh Khan at the Zee Carnival 2008 at Suntec City Singapore. My confidence boosted when I was asked to conduct classes. Life is definitely not a piece of cake. There were many hurdles in my way but I never gave up teaching. I Started part-time classes from 2008-2011 at Bollydancing Studio & also continued working until one fine day in 2011 I told myself if I don’t follow my heart I will never achieve my dreams. Finally, I left my job & the journey started to explore my passion dance!
3.Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced during your initial days?
Believing in yourself is the biggest challenge ever. When I started off Dancing as a career, the first few questions asked was, if I am in the right field? Will I be able to pull it off as an Instructor?When you say you are a Dance Instructor the reaction you get especially from your friends & acquaintances. Their questions are what will people think?
Challenges I faced when started teaching initially was to fulfill client’s expectations.The most important part of my career was to develop the trust with all the companies I work with & also my clients so that we maintain a healthy relationship. I remember traveling around for 5 classes a day in Singapore & reaching on time was the biggest obstacle for me. Preparing the right dance music n choreography for steps was equally important & ensuring my wardrobe was well planned too. Initially, I could not differentiate the difference between being professional compared to being a casual friend. But over the years I learned how to, as life is a learning experience 🙂
4.So how do you balance your personal and professional life?
To have a Balance Lifestyle I ensure I prioritize what I must do with what I enjoy doing. It is very important to Balance my lifestyle as this way I can reduce stress and manage a well-balanced life. There can be physical or emotional health consequences if I don’t set my priorities right. So my focus is always on-
1.Taking care of myself by Loving Myself
2.Making Sure I Am Aware Of My Priorities
3. Creating a focused mindset is essential for me
4. Expect the unexpected
5.Maintain a positive mental attitude
5.What would you suggest to other aspiring women who want to venture out on their own?
To all the aspiring women out there-
following your dreams is a must as it gives you self-confidence, inner peace and also a chance to motivate others to follow their dreams. Remember to be positive always, no matter what happens. Life is a gamble there might be up’s n downs but never give up that hope. Always follow your heart & never give up. Yes, in the beginning, you will need to swim on your own, Not many will support your ideas. You will never get direct answers to your questions when you seek help. You need to experiment yourself & then learn from your mistakes. It is not easy but with love & support of family & friends in the matter of time, everything goes well. Enjoy the ride in life just like a roller coaster
6.Is there any person who has mentored/supported/inspired you?
The person who has always mentored & supported me is my Mom. It is because of her I started developing the love for Dance. My mum’s side of the family especially her youngest brother and sister has given me lots of support and motivation to focus on my passion. Last but not least I would want to thank Mihir Wani, co-founder of Bollydazz/Bollydancing Studio… Who has always inspired me during my ups and downs. Who always had trust in me and guided me throughout these 5 years. I love all of you for being there for me.
7.What do you have in the pipeline for your venture’s future development?
Dynamic Dreamz wants to inspire as many adults & children to keep fit & live a Healthy Lifestyle by Dancing out their calories for now. I have not thought about future development as yet. Prefer not to plan and go with the flow of opportunities. Let’s see what comes along let it be a surprise.
Some achievements by Sonia Khatwani:
- Participated in the “Rupee Room Bollywood Dance Academy” organized by Zee TV Asia Pacific.
Performed at ” Relive Pancham 2008″ at Esplanade, Singapore with Toby Fernandez.
Performed at ” Bollywood Cutting Edge ” in Singapore with Toby Fernandez.
Participated in the “Zee Carnival 2008” alongside Mr. Shahrukh Khan at Suntec City, Singapore.
Won the “Best Dancer “award in a dance competition organized by Sindhi Association Malaysia for the So you think you can dance” championship
Trained young and aspiring children at the prestigious ” International Kids Festival 2008″ at Esplanade Singapore.
Visit her FB page to know about her updates-https://www.facebook.com/DynamicDreamz2014
Womenlines wish Sonia all the best for her dance journey. Keep rocking Sonia!
Charu Mehrotra
Promoting Excellence in Women!
Follow Womenlines on Social Media
Dance enthusiast who is a passionate teacher- Sneha Yadav
[…] me, dance is more of a feeling. Even the way you walk is a dance. It’s the idea that Actions speak louder than the words, and that idea became my life and now my […]