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Who are we

Nupur Arts is a dynamic dance organisation based in the heart of Leicester since 1990. Specialising in Bharatanatyam, Bollywood and Folk, we offer dance classes to all demographics. Alongside this, our outreach work enagages with artists, practitioners & other arts organisations to develop, promote and support South Asian arts in Leicestershire & beyond.
We are proud to be a part of the Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisation for 2023-2026!

The organisation plays a key role in enriching local communities and engaging with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, through a range of arts and cultural activities reflecting the diversity of contemporary Britain.

Meet the team

Smita Vadnerkar

Artistic Director

Smita Vadnerkar

As Artistic Director and Founder of Nupur Arts, Smita has continued to develop the next generation, sharing her passion for dance with her students since
1990. She pioneered Bharatanatyam dance in Leicester, received the Lifetime Achievement Award in South Asian Dance from One Dance UK, and now runs Leicester's leading South Asian dance academy.

Outside of running Nupur Arts, you'll find her exploring new places, learning about cultures, and listening to music!

Shreya Vadnerkar

Associate Director

Shreya Vadnerkar

Shreya, our Associate Director, specialises in Bollywood and Bharatanatyam and also ventures into Breaking (Breakdance). Alongside her work as Associate Director and NPO Portfolio Manager, she explores the creative arts, with her top achievements including featuring as a Bollywood dancer in Marvel Studios' ETERNALS, appearing in TUI's Thailand commercial, and starring in the touring production Patel's Millions.
In her free time, Shreya loves to attend gigs, hip-hop jams and likes to experiment with cooking different cuisines inspired by her travels.
Diya Gondalia

Company Administrator & Academy Coordinator

Diya Gondalia

Diya joined the academy at age 9 and over a decade later is now the Company Administrator & Academy Coordinator, alongside her roles in Marketing and assisting in Event Cooridination. Some of her recent achievements include helping to coordinate Nupur Arts’ largest showcase, Dance Dhamaka. Alongside her passion for dance, she has also ventured into the world of real estate and property management.
In her free time, she loves watching films, listening to music and getting creative with scrapbooking and calligraphy.
Bhavdeep

Project Administrator

Bhavdeep

Bhavdeep has recently joined our team as Project Administrator, working on bringing our NPO projects to life. Coming from a musical family, she has been immersed in the world of music, playing the sitar and earning a degree in Music Journalism. She has previously worked alongside Pulse as a writer and Leicestershire Music as a Youth Voice Journalist. Bhavdeep also champions inclusion and diversity in the creative arts both within her work and hobbies.
In her spare time she’ll be playing Nintendo games, reading a good book or prepping for her next Comic Con.
Nidhi Joshi

Bharatanatyam and Bollywood Tutor & Education Administrator

Nidhi Joshi

With years of quality experience, Nidhi teaches our Bollywood Junior, Youth and Adult classes. She is also a qualified Bharatanatyam tutor teaching from Primary Grade to Grade 6, as well as being the Education Administrator and Lead Choreographer across several projects! Some of her achievements including choreographing for & acting in touring production Patel’s Millions and featuring as a Bollywood dancer in Marvel Studio's ETERNALS.
When she isn't brewing chai as the company's go-to-chaiwali, she enjoys delving into unique DIY projects
Amar Mistry

Bollywood tutor

Amar Mistry

Amar teaches our Bollywood Infant, Junior and Leicester Grammar classes. He has danced with the company and been a part of the team for well over a decade! As a qualified Sports Therapist, Amar ensures that our students learn the fundamentals of the body and safe practice, in a super fun way!
Being known as the Class Clown, Amar is always ready to bring humour to any setting. He also enjoys sports, video games, and watching films. Aside from teaching he is also the company Gadget Man, always prepared for any event with the latest tech.
Reema Mistry

Bollywood tutor

Reema Mistry

Reema teaches our Bollywood Youth and Junior classes. Starting with us from just age 3, Reema has trained with Nupur Arts for over 20 years, training in various styles such as Tap, Modern and Bollywood which she now teaches to our students, providing a range to her classes! Some of her achievements include taking part in the Curve Theatre production “Finding Home” and performing for large scales events such as the Olympic Ceremonies and opening “Godiva Festival 2024”!
Her hobbies outside of dance include exploring a wide array of arts and crafts, constantly discovering new ways to be creative!
Alisha Vaghela

Bharatanatyam and Bollywood Tutor

Alisha Vaghela

Alisha started with Nupur Arts when she was 3 years old, and now she teaches our Bharatanatyam and Bollywood classes! Graduating from Yuva Gati (CAT), she has used her skills and training to teach the art of Bharatanatyam to the next generation. She has also performed pieces choreographed by world-renowned artists, such as Seeta Patel, Shobana Jeyasingh and Shane Shambu.
Alisha is also training to be a qualified Chartered Accountant and is currently working in Audit. In her spare time, she enjoys creating unique designs with her nail art!
Vaidehi Acharya

Bharatanatyam and Bollywood Tutor

Vaidehi Acharya

With years of experience, Vaidehi teaches our Bollywood Infant classes and ensures smiles all around! Being trained in Bharatanatyam and having completed her Aarangetram in 2005, she also teaches our Primary Grade and Open Level classes. She has been part of the team for over 15 years and performs with our company. Some performances include ‘An Indian Summer’ Festival and Curve Theatre’s re-opening! As well as working at Nupur Arts, Vaidehi has been working in the National Crime Agency for the past 3 years.
In her free time, she enjoys swimming, bike rides and loves adventures- she is always ready to accept new challenges!

Our History

Founded in 1990 under the guidance of Artistic Director Smita Vadnerkar, Nupur Arts has continuously flourished when she pioneered Indian Classical Dance form Bharatanatyam in Leicester. Introducing dance programs in local schools and centres, Smita expanded her classes from Bharatanatyam to include more contemporary styles. Through outreach initiatives and performances, the classes have grown to accommodate over 200 students, fostering a new generation of leaders over the span of 30 years. These emerging leaders are actively engaged in various aspects such as production, script-writing, teaching, media documentation, composing, and administration.
From her humble beginnings in Vadodara, India- Smita brought her passion to Leicester at the young age of 19. Since then, Smita has been teaching for the last 35 years in numerous community centre, schools and colleges, bringing Bollywood, Folk and Bharatanatyam to the East Midlands. Notably, she has taken Nupur Arts all over the UK, with sold out shows at esteemed venues such as Curve Theatre, De Montfort Hall, Theatre Royal Nottingham, Birmingham Hippodrome, Berlin, Germany ITB & Royal Spa Centre Lemington Spa.
Smita has also been a professional judge at many high profile events, twice on Sony TV's Boogie Woogie. Her passion for dance has inspired all who have crossed paths with her. Smita was awarded The Special Vishva Lanka Award for her outstanding contribution to dance in the community 2010.
She has a vast network spanning the East Midlands Art and Educational sectors, as well as frequently worked with SEND schools . Her dedication to providing high quality training to people of all ages and abilities, with former students branching out to lead their own classes.
Smita has also founded NAYA and fostered youth development in project management, planning and teamwork, helping them explore career options in the creative sector.
Since then we have gone to achieving new heights! Shreya Vadnerkar has joined our company as Associate Director, we have joined Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisation for 2023-2026! We have also expanded our team as well As moving into our new office at the heart of Leicester, LCB Depot!
Now, as we approach our 35th Anniversay, we stand proud as Leicester's leading South Asian dance academy, boasting over 200 students ranging from ages 3 to 65+!