Dancing is for everybody so don’t let health conditions hold you back, says Nileeka Bose
The COVID-19 pandemic took so much from so many. But some rays of positivity did shine from behind the dark moments. One of these, was dance. More specifically, the wonderful world of Bollywood.
Nileeka Bose has many strands to her bow. A law degree, a strong background in advertising and an entrepreneurial streak. Combined with her love of dance and deep understanding of Bollywood, it’s no surprise that her expertise is being snapped up by film and TV producers and directors.
Nileeka has worked on the UK TV series Dancing On Ice, the 2021 superhero film Eternals based on the Marvel Comics, and is currently involved in a Hollywood film. But as well as the glamour of film and TV, Nileeka loves to teach dance classes from the renowned Pineapple Dance Studios in London. And she noticed a definite shift during the pandemic.
“People had more time to fill, or to realise they had unfulfilled ambitions,” she says. “The online dance classes began to snowball in popularity. I hadn’t previously taught online but it became a great source of fun. People who wouldn’t have come to a live class due to anxiety or health conditions, were happy to join in from home.”
When the restrictions lifted, some of these new dancers joined Nileeka for live classes.
“The classes are drop-in, so there is no advance warning about who is coming,” Nileeka says. “I have to cater for a wide variety of levels in terms of experience, fitness, flexibility and health.”
Bollywood dancing has a reputation for being athletic, but there are, in fact, many different styles. “I understand the entire map of Indian dance and there is so much for people of all levels of fitness and ability to enjoy” says Nileeka. “Some forms are gentle, grounded and a great place to start for people with painful health conditions.
“My research into exercise classes found that there isn’t one type of exercise for one type of person. Accessibility is key.”
It’s a similar story when Nileeka choreographs dance for movies and TV programmes. “Similarly to a dance class, when I’m choreographing for screen I’ll always ask actors if they have specific health issues or barriers to dance,” she says. “What has stopped them from dancing before? Interestingly, the answer can be mental as well as physical. Perhaps someone has slipped a disc previously. Or maybe they were made fun of as a child or teenager.”
Nileeka knows where people are coming from when they talk about negative comments holding sway over choices. “When I was younger, someone once mentioned that I wasn’t very flexible, so I thought I wasn’t and I couldn’t be,” she remembers. “Now I realise that all I needed to do was to gently push myself and my flexibility would improve. Yoga and Pilates have been a great help in this respect; my flexibility today is better than it’s ever been.”
There’s always a way to get involved in dance.
“When I teach in class or choreograph for wider audiences, together, we overcome barriers to dance, be they physical or emotional,” she says. “Dancing is for everybody, no-one should be held back.”
A head for business
The only child of a doctor and engineer, Nileeka always had a creative streak as a child. “I just loved to dance,” she remembers. “As a young child it was ballet and tap, but as soon as I was exposed to Bollywood, I truly fell in love. Back then there wasn’t anywhere to learn near where we lived in Surrey, so weekends were taken up by my parents driving me further afield.”
Instead of moving straight into her area of passion, when she left school Nileeka studied law at university and then moved into the PR and advertising industry. But Bollywood dancing was always a part of her life and she began to realise that it was growing market with huge potential. Nileeka began her business in her mid-twenties, and hasn’t looked back.
“Of course it’s hard work running a business on my own, but I look for support or outside expertise when I need to and it’s extremely rewarding. You can become a magnet for the kind of work you love.”
For more information visit www.nileeka.com
First published January 2022
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