Sanjana Muthreja is an internationally certified belly dancer who has conducted workshops in Egypt, Dubai, Turkey, China, and throughout Europe. For almost ten years, she has been teaching Egyptian and Fusion Belly Dance.
She specializes in ‘Drum Solo’ and ‘Bollywood Belly,’ and is trained by Sadie Marquardt, the internationally renowned queen of Drum Solo. And is trained in Kathak and Yoga and enjoys sharing her knowledge through various fusion programs. She was the first to reintroduce the Tahitian Dance form to India.
Women Fitness India joins her for a candid chat over her journey, dance forms, and celebrity clients!
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Sanjana you are an internationally certified belly dancer who has conducted workshops in Egypt, Dubai, Turkey, China, and throughout Europe. For almost ten years, you have been teaching Egyptian and Fusion Belly Dance. Tell us how did your journey begin?
Ms. Sanjana Muthreja
I started my belly dance journey in Mumbai itself. I was fortunate enough to find a great belly dance teacher in Mumbai and did my basic teacher training course with her. After that I traveled to Egypt to complete my teacher’s training, post which I traveled to different countries learning different belly dance styles, meeting different teachers. Luckily at one of these belly dance festivals abroad, a teacher noticed and appreciated my talent and asked me to come to teach the following year. And that’s how I started teaching abroad.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar
You have been also trained in Kathak and Yoga, but how did you find your true calling in belly dancing? More on the types you specialize on
Ms.Sanjana Muthreja
Belly dance was the first dance form that I started learning. I was really young and had no exposure to any other style of dance. Once I completed my belly dance teacher’s training, I realized I was well trained in one dance form and then decided to take up Kathak to help me in my spins. I wanted to be a better dancer and teacher. Yoga is a stress-buster and it keeps me fit and flexible. I had the beautiful opportunities to travel and teach these forms where I did a fusion of Yoga-Belly and Katha-Belly. But my heart and soul have always been in belly dance. I still remember watching a belly dance video when I was just a kid – It’s like my first love!
Ms. Namita Nayyar
You also reintroduced the Tahitian dance form in India, tell us more on this?
Ms. Sanjana Muthreja
I don’t know about reintroducing – I have got Tahitian Dance to India. Initially, I had no idea about this dance form. I watched a video of a lady dancing, she was circling her hips and lower back and I was observing her. It was similar to belly dancing but also very different at the same time. Once while I was at a belly dance festival abroad, there was a Tahitian teacher who taught us the basics of this dance form. I related that this dance is similar to the video I’d seen earlier. I connected with this teacher who actually had her original roots from Tahiti and completed my Level 1, 2, and 3 of Tahitian teacher’s training with her and got this beautiful dance form to India.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
You have also collaborated with various celebrities for videos, which one was your favorite experience
Ms.Sanjana Muthreja
I’ve always enjoyed teaching Shanaya Kapoor a lot. Shanaya started learning at a very very young age and she trained for 3-4 years. She finished her training and when she felt that her techniques are strong, she uploaded the videos. Shanaya is super hard working – she’s dedicated a lot of time to belly dancing. Whenever she had free time, we used to train around 3-4 times a week. It’s fun to train her, she’s been my student for the longest time and the results are clearly seen.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Women fitness India, talks about celebrity diets and fitness regimes, do you follow any special diet? Your favorite cheat meals
Ms. Sanjana Muthreja
Yes, I do follow a diet. It’s not only to look thin, but it’s also mainly to feel healthy and fit. If you have an unhealthy eating lifestyle, you feel unfit and lethargic to work – I’ve experienced this. It’s always good to eat good food and follow a diet that keeps your system strong and immunity high. My work is both physically and mentally challenging so I eat the right food proportionately, I follow intermittent fasting, have a lot of water, and try to get enough sleep. My cheat meal is Asian food! I absolutely love it.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
What comprises your fitness regime? How many times in a week do you work out?
Ms.Sanjana Muthreja
Honestly, I have belly dance classes almost daily – sometimes for hours at a stretch. But along with that, I do try and practice yoga or step down for walks as cardio. I also practice a little bit of strength training for muscle toughness. There is some of the other physical exercises every single day, it just depends on my class schedule.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Besides physical fitness, mental health also plays an important role, how do you take care of your mental health
Ms. Sanjana Muthreja
Mental health is just as important as physical health, if not more. Just being physically fit is not enough. You need to be mentally strong as well. My career involves not only teaching but also handling an entire school. I need to make sure that every student and instructor is happy with what we provide. It’s also about growing and not being stagnant. We have to constantly adapt to change. This brings about a lot of stress and pressure. To cope, I practice meditation. Whenever I’m low on energy or stressed I meditate using a few breathing patterns and pranayamas. Pranayamas have always helped me with my physical and mental well-being. Also, it’s important for me to occasionally disconnect from everything around and reset.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Being a leading and successful women entrepreneur what advice you would like to share for young and budding woman entrepreneurs
Ms. Sanjana Muthreja
If you have passion, don’t think about society and what others may say. Do what you want to do, just have faith and believe in yourself. Of course, nothing comes without hard work. Invest in yourself every day so that you can add value to your work and if it feels right then pursue it with all your heart.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.