Performance Troupe – Devi Bollywood Dance

Performances

Our performance troupe work is an artistic blend of Classical Indian, folk, and Bollywood dance styles. The unique combination with a focus on expression and grace that come from Classical styles have made our performance work stand out. Devi Bollywood Performing Arts have performed at numerous events locally and in the surrounding area. We believe in building strong communities, celebrating diversity, and fostering inclusion through dance have participated in festivals, celebrations, and dance showcases in the city. Producing showcases is another way they share Indian dance. They work closely with artists, musicians, and other choreographers in the area to create showcases for the community. They have presented their showcases at venues such as Ujima Theater, Shea’s Smith Theater, Babeville, and Albright Knox.

Upcoming Performances

Devi Bollywood Performing Arts Presents

"Find Your Beat"

“Find Your Beat” is an interactive performance that brings together live musicians and dancers with a focus on Indian culture and tradition through dance and music. The styles of dance being presented are Kathak, an Indian Classical dance style from North India, Garba from the Gujarati region, and Bollywood dance. It is a fun and engaging experience for all ages!

Friday, May 13th

Blue Pearl Yoga

200 E Main St., 3rd Floor, Batavia, NY

18 & under free, 19 & over $10. Preregistration is required. For more info email: info@goart.org or call 585.343.9313.

Meet the Troupe

Cortney Costanzo

Cortney is a Buffalo-based entertainer and can be found studying and performing with various ensembles throughout Western New York. Cortney received the bulk of her dance training at Miss. Bev’s Dance Studio in Niagara Falls. As a competitive dancer, she has received many accolades including the “Triple Threat” award at The Kiwanis Dance Competition in 2005. In 2003, she and some of her closest dance friends were selected to be members of the Footloose Dance Competition’s Xtreme Dance Team where they traveled to the Bahamas to learn from choreographer Mandy Moore. Her post-High School studies took her to The College at Brockport where she auditioned and became a member and Captain of the Brockport Dance Team.

After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education she attended Buffalo State College to complete her Master’s Degree in Educational Technology. She currently teaches High School Math at Williamsville East High School where she is the Class of 2020 adviser and, the adviser and, director for the Williamsville East High School Band Against Bullying performance team, which has won three consecutive first place titles under her direction.

Cortney is also involved in many performance groups around the Buffalo area. She currently performs with Devi Bollywood Performing Arts and Buffalo Aerial Dance at local events and festivals. She is a standing board member of Dance Day of Buffalo and was the host of their “Tidings of Tap” fundraiser held in December 2017. When she isn’t dancing, she is likely singing. She lends her voice to many groups and ensembles such as The Derek Mediak Band, The Bees Knees, The Steve Balesteri Band (Uptown Sound), The Lewiston Choraleers, and individuals Zach Carr and Sara Rogers. She is also a former member of Harmonia Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Choir and The Foxy Diamondz. Cortney has had the opportunity to perform at some of the most exciting events Buffalo has to offer such as The World’s Largest Disco, First Night Buffalo, The Witches Ball, Buffalo Goes Gatsby, The Steampunk Festival, Nicola Tesla Festival, The Erie County Fair, Elmwood Arts Festival and Jim Kelly’s Kelly for Kids Fundraiser just to name a few. To follow Cortney’s events feel free to check out her website CortneyChyme.com Her singing and dancing background lend nicely to Cortney’s work as an actor performing with local filming groups for short independent films, music videos, and the annual Buffalo 48-Hour Film Project. She can be seen as a live Disney princess actor for children’s Birthday parties with A Dream Is A Wish Entertainment. You may have also seen her online in a Buffalo Bills Parody Video, “Christmas Lights” music video by Nate Cronk or a NOCO commercial that was aired on Channel 2 WGRZ this past year. When Cortney isn’t performing, she is lending her immeasurable skills, and experience as a dance teacher at Adell’s School of Dance, and as a performance coach for the award winning Matt’s Music Vocal Performance Competition team. Shelly Chaudhary Vignesh was Born and raised in India. Though not formally trained in Indian Classical Dance she was exposed to the various traditional dance forms, including Bollywood, Folk, Garba and Rajasthani dance. Shelly has choreographed and performed for various cultural events in the Sri Lankan community here in Buffalo, NY. She believes that dance is very lyrical and a way of expressing oneself. “When I move I desire to feel something that cannot be expressed through words”.

Tonya Davis

Tonya’s previous performance experience began in vocal music. She sang for four years in the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Chorale and Cantori during which she had the opportunity to perform in tours to Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. After college, she sang with the Orchard Park Chorale and the Buffalo Choral Arts Society. In 2010, Tonya discovered bellydance when she began taking classes and performing as a student of The Bellydance Academy. She was a member of The Fleuron Rouge Bellydance troupe and performed at events and festivals throughout Western New York. She continues to study bellydance and has taken workshops from celebrated performers such as Jill Parker, Zoe Jakes, and many others. In 2014, Tonya began taking Bollywood classes from Gaitrie at Devi Bollywood Performing Arts and also fell in love with this dance form. She is happy to be a member of Devi Bollywood Performing Arts and is always looking forward to the next performance.

Holli Simme

Buffalo-based entertainer Holli began her dance journey at the age of three at Barb Denny’s Studio of Dance Arts. She studied various styles including tap, jazz, ballet, modern, hip-hop, and musical theater. After graduating high school, Holli continued her education in dance at University at Buffalo where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2014. While in school she was fortunate to learn much from her professors, and took residencies and master classes such as Lehrer dance, Limon Dance Company, Pilobolus, River North Dance Chicago, and Doug Varone and Dancers. She was also a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company, Zodiaque Dance Ensemble, and performed in Dancer’s Workshop and Digital Poetry and Dancers.

Holli began performing with Devi Bollywood Performing Arts in 2017 after taking class with Gaitrie at local dance festival Dance Days of Buffalo. She also currently performs with Showstarters Entertainment, and can be seen as a live Disney princess actor for A Dream Is A Wish Entertainment. Along with dance and character work, Holli also has been practicing fire spinning for the past three years. Other past performances include work with Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Torn Space Theater, The Bird’s Nest Circus Arts, Foxy Diamondz, and the Slyboots Circus.

For the past eleven years, Holli has been teaching dance and is currently an instructor at Barb Denny’s Studio of Dance Arts and Performing Arts Dance Academy. Her dance and choreography has even taken her around the world to Dalian, China, where she taught abroad at Rainbow Painting Arts Theater in 2018. After returning home from China, Holli went back to school and received her Certificate of Massage from Trocaire College in 2020. She is now a licensed massage therapist in the State of New York and runs her practice at Tupelo Honey Spa in Elma, New York.

Natasha Perkins

Dancer, choreographer, teacher, community artist; Natasha began her dance journey and training taking master classes and workshops with Garth Fagan, The Urban Bush Women and Forces of Nature Dance Company. While attending Buffalo State College, Natasha earned her Minor in Performing Arts; performed and toured for the Buffalo State College Dance Theater Department. As a full scholarship recipient at the American Dance Festival (ADF), she performed with noted choreographers Ronald K. Brown and Paul Taylor while also being trained by Master Teacher Cornelius Carter. Natasha has appeared several times in the Jazz World Dance Congress and International Dance Festival (NYC). Her professional dance career includes dance and instruction with Janet Reed and Dancers and Buffalo City Ballet. Based in Buffalo, N.Y., Natasha’s Love for the Art of Dance formed her own company “La Mezcla Dance”; solo and collaborative work presented in festivals and venues in the United States. Currently, Natasha performs with various individual choreographers and companies in Buffalo, N.Y

Krystal Wildman

Born and raised in Buffalo, Krystal has trained in a variety of dance styles including jazz, tap, and contemporary. After dancing with a contemporary troupe for two years, she began performing with Devi Bollywood in 2017. Although not originally trained in Indian dance, she eagerly took on a new style and loves immersing herself in another culture. When not performing, Krystal is a full-time student at Buffalo State College. She is enrolled in their Early Childhood and Childhood Education program and will be graduating with honors in May 2022. She will be continuing her education in the summer of 2022 to complete her master’s program in education. She hopes to share her love for movement and culture within her future classrooms.

Pre Hughes

Pre’s performance experience was initially in vocal sound and piano playing. She started to take singing lessons back in India at the age of 3 years old. Her journey in music during her younger years led her to become a part of WNY Children’s Chorus. She then continued to take part in choir at University.

Pre has always had an interest in dance and performed in high school for cultural shows, but it was after college that she pursued her interest. She first started to take dance classes with Gaitrie in 2013 as she wanted to explore her Indian roots and Bollywood dance. She has performed in many shows with Devi Bollywood Performing Arts including at Junoon after which she started to train in Bharatnatyam with Oviya Nadanayalam School of Dance. Bharatnatyam is a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu in India.

Currently, she continues to train in the classical Indian Dance form of Bharatanatyam and also is taking Kathak classes. She also enjoys taking hip-hop classes in the community.

Shelly C. Vignesh

Born and raised in India, Shelly moved to USA in 2013. She has Indian dance form roots that goes deep in her life. Her childhood is full of dance performances and competitions. Even though she couldn’t get the opportunity to get formal dance training in India, she is always keen to learn. She is been actively taking part in the cultural groups in Sri Lankan community and Indian community. Her dance styles varies from Bhangra, garba, Bollywood, semi- classical to hip hop freestyle. Rhythm is what keeps her moving and taking up new projects.