Dance & Drama Activities were established by Hetal Nagaraj in 1999 at the age of 19 after she completed her full internships with her teachers and was successfully showing results on stage. In 2004, she moved to the USA and continued her journey of performing arts with Indian Folk Dances only by curriculum and freelance classical fun dances for youth/college students. In the 2010-2011 academic years, she started branding her performances under the names: Hetal Nagaraj and Grace and Grooves and finally registered the company in 2012. Since 2012, under her leadership, the company has shown tremendous growth in the field of performing arts with just a once-a-week dance program, by genre showing results in every program exclusively under the educational and institutional setup in 7 locations under her with over 98% involvement for everything, local to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Hetal Nagaraj has over 50 specializations in multiple fields (including Indian performing arts) and has shown results in each of them with full experience of handling it.

 

 

Her achievements are as below:

 

Hetal Nagaraj is an Indian Folk Dance Guru (from 1999: 100s of graduates, national and international level now). Hetal Nagaraj is the First One in the entire USA to offer all the programs with a 100% straight background in Indian Folk Dances with full theory, by genre production showcases separating Lok Nruthya from stage-folk dances. From 2004 in the USA too.

Hetal Nagaraj is Indian Classical Dance Guru from 2014 only (now has the first set of graduates or about to graduate & national as well as international for Bharatanatyam, Chhau, Kalari). Hetal Nagaraj is First One to offer Bharatanatyam program focused on Margam dances with ragam thalam, recitation, and nattuvangam. Also, the First One to establish a facility to offer Kalaripayattu & Mayurbhanj Chhau with curriculum from 2016, for both dance and martial arts both.

 

Hetal Nagaraj is Bollywood/Tollywood teacher/guru from 2014 (now have national-level students teaching Bollywood too) & Several Recreational Level Students that come and go-just for fun classes/seasonal classes that happen every year by season. She is the First One to offer a successful Bollywood/Tollywood program with a full set of graduates, theory, and drama and they are teaching independent batches under her.

 

By 2020 March, Ms. Hetal has 80+ program graduates in various folk dances in DFW-Texas. Overall, in the USA, she has 100s of Graduates and has instructed and taught 2500+ students all over India and the USA by 2020 March with curriculum & by genre. Hetal Nagaraj has given workshops to 50 to 2000 students - at a time, in DFW-Texas, the USA in Indian Folk, Festival Folk Dances, Bharatanatyam Introduction Classes, Fusion Classical Dances Work, Yoga & Dance Projects, Kalari & Bharatanatyam, Chau & Bharatanatyam, Kalari & Bollywood/Tollywood as well as Bollywood/Tollywood with Hip-hop in DFW areas of North Texas.

 

Hetal owns 28+ brands of Performing Arts as of March 2021 exclusively under her. Hetal's a group of performing arts companies offer a variety of programs for all ages from extra-curricular, recreational programs, competitive, ISD supporting performing arts programs, college credits, competitive/competition programs for those interested in competition training, Indian martial arts programs, artist management, media, commercial photography and videography, internships, amateur artist development programs, youth and teenagers development, international faculty management, hourly based professional dance programs and a few other fitness-related programs. 

 

The only institute/school that offers programs with an exclusive curriculum and are accepted all over the world and several universities. Tried and tested exclusively. Several of her students have received various scholarships in various programs with her training.

 

In 2020, she acquired Reachh Mediaa - A Media Management Company and by 2021, she became the only dance teacher that has over half a dozen performing artists, by genre, at Reachh Mediaa since 2013. She created opportunities for high scholars, interns, amateur artists for their Grace Effect Teams from which over 15 students have benefitted from this program from the time it started in 2014. From 2016, she created opportunities for amateur artists by providing them an audience, opportunities to know their skills or to fix them, and participation avenues for dance, modeling, shoots, costume planning under the team of Texas All-Star Talents as part of Non-Profit as giving back to the community. Over 50 artists have benefitted from this program since 2017-2021

 

She took over Dhamaal Events in 2017 and by 2021, she showed a success streak of Dhamaal Events Workshops for exclusive International Artists and highly specialized events/categories of dancers. Their dance institute and school facilities both are often visited by international faculties to offer their programs to their city/regional/state national level students regularly. It is also known as dancers' paradise! 

 

She created 3 different dance production lines for LIVE shows for Indian Dances itself. All of which had about 65+ students just of her own in these productions as well as separate recitals. Other than that, choreographers and invited artists contribute to her shows with full credits given everywhere!

 

The only dance teacher to have the youngest set of graduates teaching independently and by genre under her at the tender age of 13, 15, and 16 years and showing results! These graduates are also the First One to be at national level dancers in Indian Performing Arts, by genre in competitions or events with strict technique focused curriculum rules, by level, by age, non-voting, and judges with 100% straight background or PHDs.

 

From 2020 onwards, several of her elite and national level students started winning international awards for not only their contributions in Indian Performing Arts but some awards required Non-Dance submissions as well. ALL Non-Voting, Non-Competition-strictly by submitting skills/clips/videos/shoots or accomplishment certificates/proof.

From 1999 to March 2021, Hetal Nagaraj has bagged 31 awards in non-voting events from Indian Dance Competitions to non-voting culture and leadership or inspiring awards in 1st 3 prizes for the following: Indian Folk Dances, Bollywood/Tollywood, Bharatanatyam, Kalaripayattu, Chateau, Fusion, Culture, Leadership, Student Awards, Strictly by rules/Genre/Curriculum/Technique Focused/Creative/Recreational, Competition Rules/ by Choreography & costume guidelines as well as her guru(s) original art-works. Nomination Rounds NOT Counted. Not reality & Non-voting competitions or events. As of March 2021, Hetal Nagaraj is also the winner of 3 international awards for culture, upbringing of women & youth in the business & performing arts field. This being the 4th one!

 

More about Ms. Hetal at www.hetaln.com and www.graceandgrooves.com for her endless list of graduates and program offerings! Online classes are NOW available under Hetal Only.

Hetal aims to beat her records, achieve bigger targets & earn bigger budget projects, and she works continuously towards her goals without compromising on the quality-by genre. She started at the age of 19 & she completed 41 young years with these achievements as a gift to herself, her family, her students, her teachers, and everybody around her. She has also received Inspiring Women Entrepreneur - 2021, Performing Arts Category.