Belly Dance Habibi School is a passion project for Sanjana Sharma

Celebrity Belly Dance Instructor Sanjana Sharma has recently launched her Belly Dancing School called Belly Dance Habibi where students can attain training for formal belly dance foundational courses. Sanjana who has trained with various Indian and International artists promises to expand her teachings all across India, curate Belly Dance shows, and invite International artists for her students. We had a conversation with her on her journey and what drives her.

 1.You own a belly dancing school, tell us more about it  

I have been performing in Schools and colleges since the very beginning. When I first saw Shakira and our very own Meher Malik on television, I was very fascinated and excited to understand this dance form. I started taking formal training, for almost 6 years with various belly dance schools, teachers-both indian and international. While I was finishing my MBA, I even got a chance to travel to Egypt and Switzerland and learn from renowned belly dance artists there. Only after that I picked up courage to start my own classes and started from scratch. From taking free trails sessions to finally building up a name for myself, I now take sessions in Mulund, Thane, Ghatkopar, Khar. After 11 years of being in this industry and multiple learning outlets, I finally decided to start a belly dance school and that was the birth of Belly Dance Habibi. It is a passion project and I want to provide all students and learners a shelter, an umbrella, a place where they can feel home , settle in and learn Foundational Belly Dance. I want to visit places, teach, learn, take my students, so we are exposed to the belly dancing community globally. 

2.What is the main motivation for starting a belly dancing school?

After 11 years of being a part of this community, I wanted to establish a school that could serve as a professional ground for my students to learn and explore. It is a growth story that I want to project and change the perception that people may have about Belly Dancing. My motivation for starting the school is to get more and more serious and to have a label which I can take forward with my students. My school is all about  my students; they are the people who will take us forward who see the vision in me in the school where they can be trained. 

3.You recently married, has your marriage changed anything?  

Well Yes, during covid, i was living by myself and converted my home into a studio to conduct training sessions and classes. My husband Jackie and I have been childhood friends and we thought why not make this relationship formal and settle down and grow together. Our love took time to bloom as we were really the ebay of friends since childhood. Our parents wanted us to tie the knot but i wanted to give myself a year’s time and live alone which is what i did and managed beautifully. Right before marriage, I hosted a Belly Dance Show in Mumbai which had 60+ participants and a huge crowd to cheer us on. Nothing really has changed apart from my surname, there’s Talwar added to it now.  We are still doing the same thing, working together, traveling together, in fact I feel even more supported now and i couldn’t have been happier. 

4.What does your daily routine look like? 

It has been around 2-3 years where I have shifted my focus on myself from being a very bubbly child running here and there, workaholic to someone who is more grounded , relaxed and hustling and resting equally. I start my day by eating fruits and then making sure I workout daily in different ways. Then getting to work, meetings and trying to spend quality time with my family too. I have my online and offline classes, weekends are usually packed. I try to eat healthy during the day, sleep on time and rest enough. 

5.Dance, particularly belly dancing, is frowned upon in some parts of our society. What message would you like to convey to those people?

When it comes to belly dancing, there are various styles within the umbrella,  folklore fusion, cabaret etc. Only when somebody learns it wholly, will they understand the origin, form and its history. People generally have seen only the cabaret style which is performed in clubs and hotels which definitely looks sensuous and hence majority of the people form perceptions. I honestly feel we cannot blame anybody for the kind of mentality they have for certain things, we can only try to educate and create awareness. When I go to reality shows or when I go and teach an actor, or when I conduct classes in India,  the main motivation is make every common man understand that belly dancing is also another form of dancing style which is not just sexy and  sensuous visually but also helps a woman express herself and corrects posture, build core muscles and is a mood uplifter. Belly dancing is not just for women but men also, it’s for everyone who would like to experience this. The only message I want to convey to people is to always look at things with an open mind, read more and understand before making judgements. Belly Dancing is a pure art form and must be welcomed.