MEET THE DIRECTORS
Monica Moskatow
Artistic Director, Choreographer, Costume Designer
Monica Moskatow, born in Detroit, Michigan, began her dance journey at the young age of three. Immersed in ballet, jazz, and hip hop, she honed her craft through studio dance training and competition dance. Monica's childhood was marked by extraordinary success, as her competition dance teams clinched first-place state titles seven years in a row and a first-place national title in 2002. Her passion for dance earned her a scholarship to New York City, where she graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Monica’s career took off when she booked her first professional job in the European tour of Franco Dragone’s Cirque Show, India. There, she had the privilege of working with renowned composer A.R. Rahman, choreographers Ray Leeper and Shiamak Davar, as well as visionary directors Brian Burke and Chantal Robson. Her Bollywood journey flourished with NDM Bollywood Productions under the guidance of Nakul Dev Mahajan. As a principal dancer, choreographer, and teacher for NDM, Monica also contributed to six seasons of, So You Think You Can Dance, and numerous film and television projects. Monica’s illustrious career boasts credits for Cirque Du Soleil, Pharrell Williams, Pitbull, Neyo, Bebe Rexha, Eva Simons, Børns, Capital Cities, Disney, Nickelodeon, The Grammy Awards, The American Music Awards, The MTV VMA's, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jane The Virgin, Dance Moms, Fuller House, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Speechless, Veep, and Beachbody Fitness, among many others.
Beyond the stage, Monica is a devoted dance teacher, instilling confidence, discipline, and a deep love for the art of dance in children and young adults. An artist through and through, she designs and sews all the costumes for Nazara, believing that clothing plays a vital role in empowering dancers and motivates their performance. Monica’s choreography is a vibrant tapestry of energy and storytelling, with a profound emphasis on performance and personal expression. Her artistic flair and cross-cultural influence bring a unique and captivating perspective to Bollywood dance with Nazara.
Saleena Khamamkar
Assistant Artistic Director, Choreographer
Born in California and raised in Las Vegas, Saleena Khamamkar is an accomplished Indian-American dancer, choreographer, and instructor. She has trained in jazz, contemporary, and Bollywood since the age of 3 and has been classically trained in Bharatanatyam for 12 years by Smt. Kalashri Asha Gopal from the Arathi School of Dance. Saleena studied Human Biology, Dance, and Biological Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego and was on the competitive Hindi Film Dance team, UCSD Zor, for 4 years (one of which she was a captain, choreographer, and female lead). Early achievements include multiple pageant titles (including Miss Glitterati 2011, Miss Teen India America 2012, and Miss India Globe 2013), a Bharatanatyam tour of South India in 2013, and a feature in the Amazon film Miss India America.
Now based in Los Angeles, Saleena brings a new, holistic take on fusion: connecting universal basics of dance and focusing on natural shapes the body can make. With well thought out and precise movements, she allows her various training styles to influence her choreography and highlight the intricacies of human voice. Saleena has been featured in YouTuber Lilly Singh’s videos, D23 Expo Aladdin Showcase, and a nation-wide Degree deodorant commercial. Her career highlights include performing at the International Indian Filmfare Awards at MetLife Stadium with Bfunk, featured in Jason Derulo and Tesher’s music video for Jalebi Baby, touring nationally for Mystic India with Aatma Performing Arts, and choreographing for M. Night Shyamalan and his daughter, R&B singer Saleka with three dance-centric music videos. Staying true to dance as an art form and balancing the ever-changing dance community is important to her as she continues her choreographic journey.
