Paula abdul straight up live vimeo full#

This was the first time Bollywood dance was in The White House. Working with Michelle Obama: The First Lady (at the time), Michelle Obama, wanted to celebrate Diwali and invited me to teach Bollywood dance to her and local students. Michelle Obama with Nakul Dev Mahajan (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Paula abdul straight up live vimeo full#

It felt like a full circle moment when I was asked to co-choreograph his Jai Ho world tour and performance for the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo. AR Rahman’s iconic Hindi music was all the rage, and I found myself using his brilliant compositions for many of my performances during this time. It was a proud moment for all Indians and of course, the film won eight Oscars later that night.Ĭhoreographing AR Rahman concerts: The 1990s and early 2000s was all about performing and setting choreography. It was joyous watching people dance to Jai Ho, while we performed. When I got the call from E! Network to join them on the Oscar’s red carpet and bring my dancers for a performance, I was blown away. I’ve always been a sucker for watching awards shows and the Oscars have always been my favourite. The Oscars: Slumdog Millionaire was the talk of the town and Bollywood dance was everywhere. There is indeed fulfilment and success in the arts too, as long as you have the passion to make it happen. Not all Indians have to become doctors, lawyers and engineers. SYTYCD opened doors for me and validated my years of hard work.

My choreography resonated with the American audience and this marked the beginning of my 11 years journey on the show. It was surreal, as everything happened so quickly. So You Think You Can Dance:After years of struggling in Hollywood, I received a call from So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) for an interview. NDM Bollywood Dance Studios became a place to learn dance, culture, life lessons and most importantly, a space that my students call ‘their home away from home’. Little did I know that I would be the first to open a custom designed Bollywood dance school in USA. I wanted to open a Bollywood dance school and provide our community with an outlet, while growing up. Opening up my dance studio: During the 1990s in Los Angeles, I became the local ‘wedding dancer’ with a dream that was laughed at.

My top 10 dance moments – Nakul Dev Mahajan