We were lucky to catch up with Sumera Jiva recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sumera, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

Although I taught dance throughout my life and continue teaching monthly workshops, I officially turned my passion into a business by officially launching Sumera Jiva Choreography and began offering wedding choreography services. The South Asian wedding industry here in Atlanta has offered me an endless amount of opportunities and networks with clients and vendors. My first official client was in December of 2021, one year from today. I will never forget how ecstatic I was and I also did not realize how quickly my dance business would flourish. After teaching them performances for one of the biggest days of their lives, I knew this decision was one of the best I’ve made. After my first client, it turned into numerous inquiries and bookings throughout 2022. Watching each of my clients perform their first dances, family dances, bridal party dances, etc. brought me so much joy that I had the chance to be part of one of the biggest days of their lives.

Sumera, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Sumera fell in love with dance at the age of 4. She took ballet, jazz, modern, and tap dancing as a child and then began teaching herself Bollywood dancing throughout her teenage years. In high school, Sumera took 4 years of ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, hip-hop, and tap dance which taught her the essential foundations of these dance genres. At the age of 16, Sumera took part in the Show Me Your Jalwa Dance Competition where she was selected to be a choreographer and won 2nd place after being judged by celebrities Vidya Balan and Mona Singh. When Sumera was 18, she began her first job as a choreographer at Naach Fusion Dance Academy in Johns Creek, GA. She taught children as well as adults and fell in love with teaching after this experience. During college, she co-founded an all female dance team named Jashan where she had the opportunity to excel in various dance forms such as Hip-Hop and Bhangra while competing on stage in various national competitions throughout and won several silver & bronze medals. She also offered custom choreography services for weddings and events during college. Sumera continued her love for dance through grad school teaching at a dance studio in Atlanta and debuted her brand Sumera Jiva Choreography and class called Bollywood Fusion. This class encompasses genres of Bollywood, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Bhangra to create a fusion dance esthetic. Sumera also had the opportunity to be on a CBS TV show, MacGyver on Season 5, Episode 12: Royalty + Marriage + Vivaah Sanskar + Zinc + Henna as one of the sangeet dancers during the Rajasthani wedding scene. Currently, Sumera teaches Bollywood Fusion workshops at various Atlanta dance studios and continues to share her passion with dance with those she crosses paths with.

Services: “Sumera Jiva Choreography is your one stop shop for all things dance! Do you have an upcoming mehendi, sangeet, wedding reception or other event where you need someone to teach you exactly what dance moves to do? Look no further! Sumera Jiva Choreography provides customizable services to help you achieve the dance moves of your dreams. Through in person learning or online sessions, you can choose the songs you love and let Sumera take care of the rest. If you need help with song selections and music editing, Sumera’s got your back! Get ready to blow away your audience by your new moves.”

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Dance has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It has always been the avenue I chose for self-expression and to feel one with myself. I spent countless years of my life professionally training in various styles of dance such as hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, modern as well as and teaching myself styles such as bollywood and bhangra. These encounters and years of practice transformed me from a dancer to a choreographer. It’s one thing to learn a routine from an instructor, but to create a piece of your own unleashes so many new creative ideas. I began teaching dance at the age of 18 and it continued pushing me to create new choreographies any chance I had. When I co-founded a dance team during my college days, I was surrounded by so many talented dancers and dance always remained one of the most exciting parts of my day. The biggest goal of mine was to teach my own workshops and to start a choreography business to help people choreograph for weddings and special events in their lives with incredible ease and an overall seamless experience. This goal became a reality when I realized that I had all of the tools in my arsenal to be successful and that getting out of my comfort zone would lead me to greater opportunities which I am experiencing today with all of the dance endeavors I have accomplished.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is watching ideas that I had in my mind come to life through the art form of dance. When I teach my students choreography that I visualized in my mind and then see it translated into their interpreted version is the best part for me. Another aspect is the energy and strength that is created when dancers come together regardless of their backgrounds and create magic on the dance floor . Performing in front of my students is always something I look forward to because of their admiration and support on my journey. When I launched Sumera Jiva Choreography, I wanted to create a brand that would revolve around one idea: creating a safe space for people to enhance their skills as dancers regardless of their prior level of dance knowledge. I will always strive to create a place where non-dancers become dancers, where I continue to create new ideas to teach my clients and students, and to share the dance floor with some of the most inspiring people I’ve had the chance meeting in my life. Dance will always remain one of the most integral parts of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sumerajiva.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sumerajiva/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvhTL33oh10pLzxsr6k7Jnw/videos?view=0&sort=da
• Other: TikTok: @sumerajiva

Image Credits
Sumera Jiva 1: @chris_brock_photo on Instagram Sumera Jiva 2: @hakimsstudio on Instagram Sumera Jiva 3: @siddkelvision on Instagram Sumera Jiva 4: @siddkelvision on Instagram Sumera Jiva 5: @hakimsstudio on Instagram Sumera Jiva 6: @siddkelvision on Instagram