Meet The Founder

Anika Gautam is a celebrated dancer and teacher in the Bay Area whose love for dance began at age 3 with ballet. She trained at East Bay Dance Company, San Ramon Valley Dance Academy, and Tiffany’s Dance Academy, and by age 12 expanded her training to include jazz and contemporary. In high school, she performed with a competitive dance team in numerous showcases and competitions, including a Golden State Warriors halftime show. She earned her BA in Dance and BS in Business Administration from San Francisco State University. During college, Anika trained in modern techniques such as Horton and Cunningham, choreographed an 8-minute contemporary piece titled 'A New Beginning', performed in both main stage and winter showcases with the University Dance Theatre, and helped run the Student Dance Alliance club, organizing and teaching workshops for college-level dancers. Anika has trained under renowned artists including Ray Tadio, Wendy Diamond, Arvejon Jones, Kara Davis, Janice Garrett, and Mary Carbonara, and continues her studies at prestigious institutions such as ODC, City Dance, and Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. As a teacher, she has worked with dancers of all ages and levels, teaching styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, modern, and tap. Her philosophy emphasizes the balance of strong technique and expressive artistry, incorporating imagery and visualization to help dancers connect with the music and fully express themselves. She encourages dancers to explore their creativity, express themselves fully, and grow with confidence, cultivating a lifelong love of dance. Through teaching, Anika shares her passion for movement, guiding students to grow not just as dancers, but as artists and individuals.