From working tirelessly in the office to working tirelessly in the studio, the team behind The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet is one made up almost entirely of strong women who push us towards our dreams, watching us grow into graceful dancers and wonderful people. But how much do we know about them?
Yana Lewis – Artistic Director
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Well, when I was 2 years old I wanted to be a butterfly!
Do you have any fun facts about yourself?
I practice Fortnite moves with Jazzie at home – I think that counts as a fun fact.
What do you do to relax?
Climb mountains! I’ve been mountain climbing all over the world – India, Tibet, Africa, everywhere.
What was your favourite subject in school?
Maths, in specific algebra.
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Disciplined, assertive, elegant.
Did you have any other hobbies growing up?
I guess gymnastics, but only till I went to ballet school.
Do you have a favourite movie/actor?
I don’t watch a lot of movies, but my favourite movie is The Greatest Showman
What is your dream vacation?
I want to go to Mexico, to the crystal caves.
What drives you crazy?
When people leave dirty socks by the front door!
If you weren’t teaching at TLFCB what do you think you’d be doing?
Probably still inspiring people, and teaching ballet anywhere in the world. Or I’d be on the top of the Himalayas doing yoga.
Do you have any siblings?
Yes, I have one brother.
Sushmitha Margad – Teacher
Did you have any other hobbies growing up?
I did a lot – I did bharathnatyam, violin…
If you weren’t working at TLFCB, what would you be doing?
I’d be a data scientist, or I’d be doing corporate training since that’s what I was doing before I quit to become a teacher.
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Happy, risk-averse, passionate
Do you have any fun facts about yourself?
At 5, I barely had any teeth left without a cavity! Learnt my lesson and have none now. That explains why dentists still make me panic and when kids show me their shaking teeth, I almost feel dizzy even now.
What was your favourite subject in school?
Math, probably geometry the most.
What is your favourite restaurant in Bangalore?
Toscano’s – I used to get the Hawaiian pizza, but this was before I stopped eating meat.
Do you have any siblings?
I have 3 siblings – 2 younger and 1 older.
What drives you crazy?
Traffic, watching tv, being late and doing things in a hurry drive me crazy.
What do you do to relax?
I go running, I really like spending time in nature, and I love getting wet in the rain.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
By the age of 3, I’d decided that when I grew up I was going to be a teacher.
Elina Wisung – Teacher
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a spy. I guess because I watched a lot of James Bond movies growing up, and I wanted all the gadgets and the secrets.
Did you have any other hobbies growing up?
I did a lot of arts and crafts in school. I also did ice skating and I did a couple of competitions but I guess no one had any faith in me because at a competition when I was 6 I was taken home before the awards were handed out and I’d won gold!
Do you have a favourite movie/actor?
My favourite movie is Out of Africa, and my favourite actor is Meryl Streep (she also happens to be in Out of Africa).
What is your favourite sport?
Ice skating, roller skating and badminton.
What drives you crazy?
Lies.
If you weren’t working at TLFCB, what do you think you’d be doing?
Saving orangutans in Borneo!
Do you have any siblings?
I have an older brother and an older sister.
Mala Suresh – Accounts
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Active, intelligent and dynamite!
What is your favourite book?
Geronimo Stilton. I read it with my children, but I enjoy it too! I think I’m still young at heart, so I like reading these books.
What is your favourite animal?
Cows. When I was younger, we used to bathe the cows, and milk them as well as play with them, so they have a soft spot with me.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be in the army.
What is your favourite sport?
Throwball – I played a lot in high school.
Do you have a favourite movie/actor?
Yes, my favourite actor changes all the time, but right now it’s Tiger Shroff.
What do you do to relax?
I listen to music.
If you weren’t working at TLFCB, what would you be doing?
Improving my kitchen, to impress my husband and son.
Do you have any siblings?
I have 5 siblings! 2 older brothers, 1 older sister, 1 younger brother and a younger sister. I’m glad I was somewhere in the middle!
Thejaswini Srinivas- Admissions
What was your favourite subject in school?
Definitely Math – in specific I think trigonometry because it’s such an objective topic of Math.
What do you to relax?
I spend time with my kids – playing with them helps me relax
What is your dream vacation?
I want to go back to the Rohtang pass. It’s the pass between Kullu and Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh. I’ve been to the region but I didn’t get to go there because the pass was closed due to snowfall, but I’d like to go back.
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Hardworking, intelligent, confident.
Do you have a favourite movie/actor?
My favourite movie is Beauty and The Beast. I don’t have a favourite actor now but I watched a lot of Shah Rukh Khan growing up.
What is your favourite sport?
Badminton.
Do you have any siblings?
I have a younger brother.
Rohini Nair – Admissions
What were your favourite hobbies growing up?
I loved gardening. Something about taking care of these living organisms excited me, and I loved caring for them – I used to sing to them as well!
What is your favourite book?
I don’t think I have one in specific, but I really enjoy Shakespeare – that’s what I studied in college!
What is your dream vacation?
Anywhere involving water – waterfalls, oceans, whatever. I love admiring nature, and water in specific, it’s very calming.
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Straightforward, jovial, hard-working.
What was your favourite subject in school?
I liked Biology.
Do you have a favourite movie/actor?
My favourite movie is Tare Zameen Par – it’s very touching and emotional.
What drives you crazy?
So many people! Short-tempered people especially.
If you weren’t working at TLFCB, what would you be doing?
I want to be the CEO of a business, but I don’t want to build my own busines. I just want to get to the top.
Do you have any siblings?
I have 3 sisters and a brother, and I’m the youngest. All my siblings were very nice to me and they pampered me because I was the youngest.
Geetha Naidu – Costumes
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to go abroad; I wanted to be a lawyer.
What is your favourite sport?
I think volleyball or even shotput.
What is your favourite animal?
Animals and birds, I would say definitely the peacock.
What is your favourite book?
Dr Abdul Kalam’s books are definitely my favourite.
Do you have a favourite movie/actor?
Yes, Vijay.
What was your favourite subject in school?
Biology.
What is your dream vacation?
I want to go to the Himalayas.
Do you have any siblings?
I have 3 siblings – 2 brothers and a sister.
Keya Matthew – Intern
Do you have any fun facts about yourself?
I have an extra bone in my right foot which I found out about because it caused some swelling that made my foot look like it had a second ankle on one side.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was in kindergarten I wanted to be a donkey because I thought they were hard working.
What do you do to relax?
Go to ballet (but this does NOT apply to pointe class)! Baking is also something that relaxes me a lot.
What is your dream vacation?
It changes all the time, right now it’s Tokyo during sakura season.
What was your favourite subject in school?
English and French.
If you weren’t working at TLFCB, what would you be doing?
Right now I think I’d be doing turtle conservation in Bali
What drives you crazy?
College applications.
Do you have any siblings?
I have an older sister who has appointed me as her personal slave.
Very nice… congrats to an awesome team of awesome women!
[…] running on the capabilities of strong, creative women. Last year, we featured our team in our Women’s Day blog, and this year, we are turning the spotlight on to another team – the mothers of our […]