Through the teaching and guidance of his mother, Amit developed an affinity for performing arts at a young age. His first stage recital was at age 4 when he performed a traditional Indian folk dance to live music. Amit went on to learn other forms of South Asian dance as well as to learn musical instruments such as the tabla and dhol. In college he was part of the first Bhangra team to be established at the University of Virginia known as UVA Di Shaan where they performed at numerous dance competitions throughout the nation. Currently, Amit is a Co-Founder and Director of The SAPAN Institute and hopes to share his passion for the performing arts by leading SAPAN's efforts in artistic instruction. Amit is a Systems Engineer with the Federal Government specializing on issues of national security. He holds a M.S. in Systems Engineering and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.

Divani has been an avid dancer all her life. She began her formal training in Bharatanatyam at the young age of 4 under the tutelage of Mythili Kumar of the Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose. With the Abhinaya Dance Company, Divani performed in countless dance dramas and community events. After completing her Arangetram (solo dance recital) in 1996, she continued her Bharatanatyam education in Australia and India, and has since performed solo full-length dance productions internationally. Divani's lifelong connection to dance continued at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was vice-president of PENNaach, the Nation's first collegiate South Asian dance troupe. The troupe specialized in everything from Classical, Garba, Fusion, Dance Dramas, Folk, Bhangra, Hip-Hop, Semi-Classical, and Bollywood. Although the pursuit of a legal education brought her to Washington D.C., it was not long before she was dancing actively with a Virginia based dance company. Alongside dance, Divani is a trained Carnatic (a form of Indian Classical music) singer with over 16 years of experience. As Co-Founder and Director of The SAPAN Institute, Divani intends to bring her keen sense for artistic detail to all of its endeavors. Divani is a practicing civil litigation attorney representing survivors of domestic violence.

Having embraced both his South Asian roots and his American influences, Bhangra Beats (www.bhangrabeats.org) founder and creator - Jay Patel - is considered a pioneer in the Pop-Bhangra dance movement. Jay's dance career began at the University of Pennsylvania, where he co-founded the all-male South Asian dance team known as Penn Dhamaka. As he began sharing his new found passion with others, he soon realized the fitness value of Pop-Bhangra.

Over his career, Jay has performed at numerous major dance competitions and shows, including Bhangra Blowout, Raas Chaos etc., demonstrating his versatility in Bhangra, Garba/Raas, Bollywood, and Hip-Hop. In addition, his "Bhangra Beats: Round 1" DVD is sold globally through major online distributors.

Jay is also an acclaimed Tabla artist, as a student of Tapanji Modhak, a disciple of the great Tabla Maestro Shri Kishan Maharaj of Benares. As Tapanji's premier student, Jay has performed both as a soloist and an accompanist at events throughout the US.

Aside from dancing and teaching, Jay works as a Consultant for Accenture, working primarily in Project Management.

With over 20 years dance experience, Sejal Shah has an eclectic background in various dance forms, including Bharatanatyam (South Indian Classical), various Indian Folk, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Modern/Lyrical.  Prior to co-founding the SAPAN Institute, Sejal developed her experience in performance art through on-going training and on various recognized dance companies, including NASHA (NYU's South Asian Dance Company).  In addition, having acted as director of a Virginia-based Indian dance company, Sejal has been teaching South Asian dance in the Washington, DC area for over 2 years.  Sejal's choreography and dance style can best be described as innovative and experimental as she strives to push boundaries and people's perceptions of dance.  Similarly, as Co-Founder and Director of the SAPAN Performance Company, Sejal seeks to inspire her fellow SAPAN artists to challenge themselves and become artistic leaders, not followers, in the performing arts community. Aside from the SAPAN Institute, Sejal is an practicing attorney and an active leader on a number of bar association committees. She has a wonderful puppy by the name of Molly that takes up much of her "free" time.

Nistha Raj's initial training in music began with Western classical violin at the age of nine. She received a B.A. in music with honors from the University of Houston in 2003. In 2005 Nistha was awarded a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to undergo rigorous, intensive formal training in Hindustani classical violin at the Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya in New Delhi as well as vocal training with Meeta Pandit, belonging to legendary Pandit Family of Gwailor. She has also had the privilege to receive guidance from Dr. N Rajam, one of the foremost Hindustani violinists. Since 2008 she has been receiving training from Smt. Sisirkana Chowdhury, disciple of Ali Akbar Khansahib. Nistha has been an active performer and teacher of Hindustani violin in the Washington, DC community for the past few years. She is also the recipient of multiple grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Nistha feels a deep affinity for Indian classical music and her lifelong pursuit is to discover the unending beauty within it.