Get To Know Our Team of Dance Professionals
KARAN RIAR
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/OWNER
Karan Riar hails straight from the Bollywood Film Industry in Mumbai, where for well over a decade, his performance, choreography, and entrepreneurial skills led him to be an integral part of the Film and Performance Industry...
MEERA SARKAR RIAR
MANAGING DIRECTOR/OWNER
Meera Sarkar Riar has been dancing, choreographing, and teaching Classical Kathak Dance for over 30 years. She is professionally trained in the Lucknow Gharana, and her unique style is influenced by her teachers...
RAJKUMAR GUPTA
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR/SENIOR TEACHER
Mr. Raj has well over 17 years of experience in the Mumbai Film Industry as an Assistant Choreographer and Background Dancer for motion pictures, reality shows, music tours, and television award shows. He has worked famous...
TAWNI PIZZAGONI
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/SENIOR TEACHER
Tawni's dance training first started in the studio, where she performed with the company teams at Dance Connection Performing Arts Centre in Concord, California. Her early training consisted of ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and...
KORY WATKINS
SENIOR TEACHER
Kory ‘Kato’ Watkins is a dance professional with 15 years of experience in teaching and 30 years in choreography and performance. He believes that the best way to promote learning is to motivate his students with...
RAYMOND SANTOS
SENIOR TEACHER
Raymond "Ray" Santos has well over 20 years of teaching and choreography experience in both the Bay Area and Southern California. His style is influenced by his experiences with Training Ground, Establish Your Empire...
TANYA ALOTA
SENIOR TEACHER
Tanya is an accomplished professional dancer and choreographer and has been teaching others to move and groove throughout the Bay Area for the past 22 years. She won her first choreography award at the age of 11, and at age 16...
MAYA MIRSKY
SENIOR TEACHER
Ms. Maya has trained under Karan Riar and Meera Riar in both Bollywood and Kathak Dance styles since 2014, and she also has had significant training in ballet, modern, and belly dance styles. A native of Los Angeles, she loves...
ANURADHA DAVE
SENIOR TEACHER
Ms. Anu has been dancing and teaching with RAPA for almost 10 years. She loves being part of Team RAPA as both an accomplished instructor as well as a student, learning new techniques and expanding her abilities as a dancer...
SRIDEVI RAI
SENIOR TEACHER
Ms. Shridevi has been a part of the RAPA family as both teacher and student for almost 10 years. She enjoys all forms of dancing, but she especially loves Bollywood. She loves teaching and feels that it is one of the most...
ASHWINI KONAMBI
SENIOR TEACHER
Ms. Ashwini has been dancing all her life, but most importantly, with RAPA for the last 8 years. Her training in both Bollywood and Kathak has helped her to be a versatile dancer across many techniques and styles...
RUCHI HARIA
SENIOR TEACHER
Ruchi has been learning, dancing, and teaching Bollywood dance over the last 15 years and has continued to train in Kathak dance for the last 8 years. In addition to teaching at RAPA, she is an integral performer in a...
YASHU VONTEDDU
SENIOR TEACHER
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JOAN LUNDAHL
WEST COAST SWING AND NIGHTCLUB TWO STEP
Joan has been dancing for over 40 years in a variety of genres. She holds a degree in dance from Western Michigan University and performed with the University Dancers...
CHRISTOPHER LI
BALLROOM, AMERICAN SMOOTH AND RHYTHM, AND INTERNATIONAL LATIN DANCE
Christopher Li has been teaching and dancing for 14 years. He started his dance career with the San Jose State Social dance class with Bud Ayers and...
JYOTHI HOSKERE
YOGA
Jyothi Kiran Hoskere was introduced to Yoga by her parents when she was 5 years old. In January 2021, she completed the Advanced Studies Program under Kate Coughlin and Jim Coughlin. She is now a 200-hour RYT...