Dance Dosti Team
Instructor Team
Rashmi
Dance Dosti was conceived and created by Rashmi, Founder of Step Change Studios. Inspired by her brother, who has Autism and a visual impairment, Rashmi is passionate about the power of the arts and physical activity to improve lives.
Aparajita
Aparajita is a trained Kathak and Contemporary dancer and has rich experience in teaching, choreographing and performing. She loves sharing her love of dance, and has worked extensively in community dance.
Bhagya
Trained in Bharatanatyam, Bhagya has been choreographing, teaching and performing for over 30 years. She has led many dance projects with older and disabled people and is committed to making the arts accessible and available for everyone.
Dhruvil
Dhruvil has been dancing and performing for over 15 years. He has extensive experience teaching Bollywood dance to people of all ages, including people with special education needs. Dhruvil believes dancing makes you feel good because it makes you feel alive.
Gita
Gita started dancing to Bollywood songs at the age of 3. In 2012, she won the MTM South West Asian Awards for Best Dancer. Gita became interested in integrated dance after teaching a pan-disability Bollywood-Hip Hop workshop!
Showmi
Showmi is a trained Kathak dancer. She is passionate about creating accessible dance for everyone and loves making people smile through dance. She runs Rokeya Project which engages with women’s issues through the arts.
Specialist Team
Adity
Dance is Adity’s first love. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She has been performing since at the age of ten in Bangladesh, India and the UK. Her style of dance brings a rare sense of devotion and dedication.
Meera
Meera is an accomplished Kathak artist, teaching all ages and abilities. Her recent practice has been influenced by countering representations of disability. Meera is currently researching Kathak vocabulary for blind and visually impaired audiences.
Arfuman
Arfuman is a versatile artist: former TV and radio news presenter; singer; media vocal artist; and media co-ordinator for a UK charity. Writing poetry is her passion. She has acted in documentaries, films and stage dramas focused on social issues.
Riddhi
Riddhi has extensive experience teaching and performing Indian Classical, Folk and Bollywood dance. She has worked with older and disabled people in local communities. As an artis and mother, she perceives dance as much more than a physical experience.
Kinjal
A scientist and artist, Kinjal is motivated by projects that make a positive impact. In 2020 she received the Asian Women Young Achievers Award, and is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion. Kinjal is trained in Bharatanatyam dance.
Sadeq
Sadeq is a diverse artist with an interest in Philosophy, Classical Literature and Classical music. He believes in the positive contribution of art to society, and has used his artistic abilities for charitable causes, for example as volunteer singer for Water Aid.
Partnerships
Creativity Through Collaboration
Dance Dosti is a partnership between Step Change Studios and Metro Blind Sport, and supported by Vision Foundation. We are grateful to our many allies for their support, and for recognising the value of collaboration in creating positive change.
Step Change Studios
Step Change Studios is an award-winning dance company committed to making dance accessible for everyone. Based in the UK, we offer fun, engaging dance opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. We provides classes in the community; tailor programmes for different settings including education, care, the arts, sport and leisure; produce professional dance performance and productions; we share our experience through conferences and workshops; and create imaginative, bespoke dance projects. What makes us different is that we always see possibility. We make things happen. We get our energy from collaborating with good people who share our values. We aspire to lead by example and to contribute to a diverse dance sector and creative, connected community.
Metro Blind Sport
Metro Blind Sport is a London based charity, creating fun, accessible sport and physical activity opportunities for blind and partially sighted individuals of all ages and abilities. Established in 1973 by a group of passionate blind and partially sighted individuals keen to break down barriers to sports participation, the organisation offers opportunities to get involved in a wide variety of sports, primarily located within Greater London. Metro Blind Sport has been at the forefront of promoting blind and partially sighted sport since it began, initiating the adaptions to sports, influencing National Governing Bodies, advising on equipment developments and supporting coaches and volunteers to get involved.
Vision Foundation
The Vision Foundation exists to improve the opportunities, wellbeing and inclusion for blind and partially sighted people across London. The charity is celebrating its centenary year in 2021, marking 100 years of support for blind and partially sighted people in London. The Vision Foundation has raised more than £30 million over the past 100 years supporting grassroots organisations working at the heart of their communities. It raises funds from the public and uses these to transform the lives of people facing or living with sight loss by funding projects across London which inform, empower and include.
