Shivani Thakkar

Shivani Thakkar, Associate Artistic Director of Manu Kala Mandir Dance Productions and Founder and Choreographer of the "MKM BollyStars" has garnered international recognition for her performances and choreography. Shivani, Winner of the 2008 Verizon Wireless and Saavn Bollypop US National Dance Competition, has notable credits as a performer. She has performed with Shahid Kapoor and Akshay Kumar; worked with choreographers Marty Kudelka, Jamal Sims, Mary Ann Kellogg, and Ganesh Acharya; and been in numerous television and film productions. She has appeared on The CW's Valentine and CBS's BBQ Bill. She is also a featured soloist and opening shot of the Disney Feature Film Step Up 3-D scheduled to be released in August 2010. She has performed bollywood dance at International Fashion Designer Christian Audigier's (Ed Hardy line) International Distributors' Event and 50th Birthday Party live with the Gypsy Kings and performed with Bellytwins International, Karmagraphy, Dakshina Dance Company, and Bollywood Step Dance. As a Bollywood choreographer, her recent credits include: the Bollywood themed National Intel Print Ad "Our Superstars" currently running in India, and instructional Bollywood DVD entitled Let's Dance Bollywood. Shivani has choreographed bollywood numbers for several dance companies including Karmagraphy, Dakshina Dance Company, and Alberta Dance Alliance. Besides Bollywood, Shivani is an established Bharata Natyam (Indian Classical) dancer and well-trained western dancer. She has performed and toured internationally including shows at the Smithsonian Museum, New York's Downtown Dance Days, and Alberta Dance Alliance Feats Festival of Dance. Shivani was the lead in the Canadian National tour of Dvaya: A Confluence of Male Female Spirits and is scheduled to reprise her role during the India tour in 2010. She is the recipient of an Arts Study Fellowship from Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, and grants from Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, USA.