Seattle - If you walk by Live2Dance studio on most evenings, you’ll hear music pumping and see students smiling and dancing together. Once you go inside, you will find that Live2Dance is not just a dance studio but a community and a family. Home to nearly 600 students, Deepali Jamwal founded the studio to use the power of dance to build a community.
Deepali decided to step away from her corporate career and take up her passion of building communities through dance, full time in 2019. What started in Ottawa, Canada has expanded its Bollywood roots to Seattle with the aim to bring the immigrant community together through dance, sharing Bollywood moments and living the motto - "Build a home, away from home."
How it started
Deepali being an immigrant in North America, realised the power of having a strong community in a different country. While it was easy to find friends in school and college, she wanted to build a community that went beyond that. She started Live2Dance with an aim to provide people with a home away from home- where they could come and let their hair down, enjoy Bollywood moves and dance like no one's watching!
The studio has been a huge success in bringing the community together and has given people a chance to connect with their culture and roots. The influence grew much bigger when the studio's community started delving into Bollywood moves and celebrating Indian festivals as a part of their self-care routine, fighting anxieties, dealing with homesickness, and simply leading a happier, stress-free life.
"When a mom of a student comes and tells me that this is the first time their daughter has been off anxiety medications in 10 years because of Live2Dance, that’s where my true reward is.
I get close to 20 messages every day about how Live2Dance has helped people survive pandemics, battle mental health challenges, make a new city home, and lead a happier life. Live2Dance is changing lives every day. It simply helps me keep going stronger."
"Most people don't realise but as an immigrant, it's not just enough to have a strong business acumen or an idea, nor your appetite for business. It all begins with your work status in the US. I particularly feel very proud of every immigrant trying to build a business empire, or thriving in any aspect of their career, despite all the immigration challenges and embracing what I loved throughout the journey- dance."
After multiple failed attempts at securing a business visa in the US, after dedicating every minute to building her business in the states and yet not being able to secure a work permit, Deepali’s hopes seemed dwindling. However, she is a force to be reckoned, and doesn’t give up easy. After multiple trials, errors, and a lot of hard work, she finally received her work visa and decided to pursue her passion and open the dance studio.
It soon stood out for its originality, liveliness, and empowering people through the power of dance and movement. Little did she know a global pandemic was just around the corner.
Just like several other small businesses, Live2Dance was forced to shut down and Deepali lost the dance studio once again. However, she did not lose faith in the people and after gathering enough resources and finances, she decided to go even bigger to build another home for this community. Today, after multiple hiccups, setbacks and failures, Live2Dance is the largest Bollywood dance group in the Pacific Northwest.
Live2Dance is a true example of a business that took the pandemic heads on and came out stronger.
What's more?
The studio is now all set to take its Bollywood magic a notch higher with new programs and workshops that are designed for people of all ages and levels. The programs will be a fun mix of fitness, dance and Bollywood.
The vision
The dance studio strongly believes in building a home away from home for every immigrant in North America. The goal is to make people feel comfortable, experience moments of joy and belongingness and to provide a space for people to be their true selves.
The team is led by the Founder Deepali Jamwal who is a Bollywood dance enthusiast and has been teaching people for decades now. The team also comprises other instructors who are highly trained and passionate about teaching people the art of Bollywood dancing.
The studio is currently admitting new members for its workshops, events and classes.
About Live2Dance
Live2Dance is a Seattle-based Bollywood dance studio that was started with an aim to provide people with a home away from home. The studio has been a huge success in bringing the community together and has given people a chance to connect with their culture and roots. The founder, Deepali Jamwal's goal is to reduce stress, and spread happiness through fun and energising Indian fused dance routines that are meant for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, looking for creative self-expression, exercise and/or social opportunities through dance.
Media Contact
Company Name: Live2Dance
Contact Person: Deepali Jamwal
Email: Send Email
City: Seattle
Country: United States
Website: https://live2danceseattle.com/
