Monisha Kumar – Monisha School of Dance – Auckand New Zealand. MKDC. Monisha Kumar Dance School
Monisha Kumar is the First Indian dance graduate from Unitec with a Bachelors in Performing and Screen Arts majoring in Contemporary Dance, a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching and a Post Graduate Diploma in Dance Studies. After a failed audition for India’s Dance India Dance in Australia, Monisha was handpicked and part of Dream Girls of Bollywood, a musical production in which she was a dancer performing in New Zealand and India. In India, she was mentored by some of the best in the industry including the likes of Bollywood’s Saroj Khan and influenced by Remo D’Souza, Terence Lewis, Bosco-Caesar and Vaibhavi Merchant. Monisha School of Dance was established in 2006 to preserve Indian dance and heritage in New Zealand. Due to its popularity and number of choreographic and performance success, it has changed the orthodox mindset of many Indians in New Zealand that creative people can indeed be successful if they put their mind and heart in the right way. Managed solely by Monisha Kumar and a team of freelance creative individuals, the school, is recognized and appreciated by the people of New Zealand. Recognised as a NZ choreographer, Creative director and choreographer Monisha Kumar has not just worked in New Zealand but worked in Fiji, New Caledonia, Australia and India and has years of experience in the creative industry. Monisha is also a qualified high school teacher and is currently HOD of Dance at One Tree Hill College for the past 6 years aspiring young individuals to unleash their dancing dreams. Her students have gone onto to perform with the likes of Bollywood celebrities Bappi Lahiri, Sukhir Singh, Mika Singh and Hollywood’s Jennifer Lopez and Justine Bieber to name a few. Monisha Kumar is one stop shop with expertise ranging from Costume, Lighting programming, sound mixing and editing, Audio Visuals programming, background and props design and valuable up to date academic dance education and advice.
AWARDS
Nominated for following Awards at TEMPO, NZ Festival of Dance
2008
-Best Youth Production: Monisha School of Dance- Viva La Bollywood
-Best Youth Choreography : Monisha Kumar- Viva La Bollywood
-Best Performance with an International Flavour- Monisha Kumar and –
Monisha School of Dance- Viva La Bollywood
2009
-Best Costume Design Most Spectacular: NATRAJ DANCE – Monisha Kumar (from Sacred Dance)
AWARDS WON:
Winner- TEMPO 2009 Monisha School of Dance-Viva la Bollywood
Winner- Tempo 2009 People’s Choice Award: Monisha School of Dance for Jai Ho (The Kids Show)
ACHIEVEMENTS:-
Only Indian dance school to perform Bollywood dance genres at :-
TEMPO 2006,2007,2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018
NZ Body Arts Awards, 2010- Opening Dance
Auckland Museum, 2015, 2018
Auckland Live- 2018