Meet The SHEROES: Nehha Bhatnagar

1: What problem are you trying to solve?

I am trying to solve the problem of attrition in the field of Indian Classical Dance and Music. I am helping make the arts more valued - more audiences created for it, more opportunities for artistes and generally bringing about a renaissance if you will, for the Indian arts.

2. What do you do to solve this problem?

My websites-  www.sarvamfoundation.in and www.nehha.in have details on my work and my life. However, in a nutshell, I run this arts foundation - Sarvam which curates and organizes interesting collaborations and events in Indian performing arts. We also run an underprivileged girls program for bringing the arts to the grassroots. We train and introduce new technicians to the arts, mentor young dancers to become organizers and many many such programs. I perform Bharatanatyam avidly and speak and lecture on dance and thus try to be a bridge between different audiences. Sarvam has gone international in a short span of time purely because it injects fresh thought in this field.

3. What inspires you every day to do what you do?

Pure passion and a belief in leaving behind a trail of good- larger than me and more lasting than me.

4: What was your childhood ambition, and how did you share it with family and friends... eg did you play doc, play teacher, sang to any audience you could gather?

Childhood ambitions to be honest were just too many---from a newsreader to a roller hockey player--everything I enacted in school plays or as hobby classes fascinated me!

5: Your schooling, college: was it targeted towards what you hoped to be... did you become what you 'studied' to be, or did you change course and chart a different path?

Not at all....Bharatanatyam was just a hobby class till the age of 23! And there is unfortunately no arts management degree or program in India. However, the schools I studied in geared me towards learning to think out the box and my parents were firm believers in supporting project based creative learning. My undergraduate degree in the US too helped me learn to challenge my thoughts and the status quo.

6: How and when did you chose your field/hobby?

Only at the age of 23, did I really take up dance under a new Guru- Dr. Saroja Vaidyanathan. She truly encouraged me to perform avidly. At 25, I started Sarvam Foundation realizing that if I am going to stay in this field and perform- I might as well take a lot more people along with me as an arts entrepreneur.

7:  What were the personal hurdles you had to cross - i.e the reaction of friends and family?

I am still unmarried- and let me tell you--personal biases against the arts creep up quite frequently by 'Delhi families.' Many offers come along but always with a hidden request of performing lesser--as if the performances are anything but sacred!! It just gives me more and more steam to propel the careers of other artistes forward--arts makes a society much more 'civilized' --you do away with that and see the collective soul decay..

8: How did your peers react to you? As a young educated woman, were you at an advantage, or disadvantage?

Advantage:) Lots of pride and support from peers and friends alike.

9. What were challenges you faced and how did you overcome hurdles?

Still face and will continue to. Financial limitations, balancing dancing with arts management--and some more. However, I try to think of the larger picture and the reason - I am doing what I am doing. And that keeps me going. Let the beauty of what you love be what you do--it will not lead you astray--wise words by Rumi that I try and follow.

10: What do you see changing for women professionals in India? How would you encourage young women to consider entrepreneurship as a viable profession.

a) You are a woman and that is your biggest strength. The way you can see the world is unique to you. The world needs your vision. So do it.

b) You can multitask --never put limitations on yourself--just go ahead and take on challenges. I single-handedly organized close to 23 massive events in the Capital--and outstation--and ran a social service wing whilst keeping up my practices and dance commitments. Sure, at some point something suffered a bit more than the other--but never at the cost of the quality delivered as the end product. So--dont cut your dreams short.

c) It is your own work and your own time- for married women, or for women looking to spend more time with families- being an entrepreneur is a boon. I get plenty of time to pursue other hobbies and spend time with my family.

11: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

As a happy and peaceful soul--doing what she loves to do--and spreading cheer in whatever way I can.

12. What do you do for fun?

COOK and READ. Love these two hobbies with a vengeance-- haha!