Artistic Director/Founder: Payal Kadakia

Payal Kadakia started dancing at the age of 3 under the instruction of Usha Patel. Payal has been trained in various classical and folk styles of Indian dance. In college, she expanded her training to other forms of dance including ballet, modern, and jazz. This led her to establish MIT Chamak, with the mission to create a new genre of dance that blended both Eastern and Western styles. After college, she became a member of Pooja Narang's Bollywood Axion Dance Company, and in only a short timeframe, became Pooja Narang’s first and only co-choreographer for Bollywood Axion. She is now continuing to expand her dance training with notable ballet teacher, Cynthia Vallone.

Payal has always been known for her creative, yet powerful choreography and the professional quality of her presentation combined with her graceful dancing and artistic integrity has now allowed her to become a true ambassador of Indian Dance into Western culture. Her dancing and choreography have been the highlight of numerous events across the country, and her work has shined in many live as well as television and film productions, including Dancing at the Crossroads in Times Square, a movie premiere at Lincoln Center, and The Accidental Husband (which starred Hollywood sensation Uma Thurman). Payal's work has also been published by Sangita Shresthova in a Bollywood Anthology called "Global Bollywood," alongside legendary names such as Farah Khan.

Payal is now continuing her work to help Indian Dance crossover to Western society through The Sa Dance Company. Her commitment and passion to dance and Bollywood has cemented her status as a role model for dancers of all cultures. Payal has been quoted as “the dancer possessing not only the stand-out talent, but the undying passion, congenial disposition and sharp business savvy to be truly a force to be reckoned with” as the South Asian culture continues its inevitable integration into America. Through The Sa Dance Company, she hopes to share her and her dancers’ passion with New York City and beyond.