Today we’d like to introduce you to Aleena Daredia.
Hi Aleena, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Since I was a little girl, I used to watch Bollywood movies and dance along to the songs in front of my TV. For some reason, dance was just a part of my soul. Throughout middle and high school, I took several dance classes and learned the basics of a lot of different styles: Bollywood, Bharatnatyam, Ballet, Hip Hop, and Lyrical. I went to Baylor University and joined a Bollyfusion dance team called “Taal” where we performed twice a year for cultural events and competitions, and I ended up becoming Captain my senior year. Being on stage with my team felt euphoric. After college, dance fell out of my life because I was focused on building my career, but I also felt like there weren’t enough opportunities for adults in their professional life to ease back into dance. A lot of classes provided in the Bollyfusion dance industry felt competitive. After I had settled in my career life, I started taking Hip Hop and Heels classes around Dallas and suddenly had a calling to create a safe space for people like me who wanted Bollyfusion dance back in their life as an adult, with a core community aspect to it, and that’s how Sitaara was born!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Creating Sitaara is definitely one of the most challenging ventures I’ve taken on, but also the most fruitful. When I believe in an idea from the bottom of my heart, I tend to run before I walk, which meant for our launch, we started with 3-4 classes a week. I quickly realized that the market was definitely not that big and had to downsize on the amount of classes, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It allowed me to slow down and focus more on quality than quantity.
The other challenge was finding studios that had a central location and exactly the vibe we were looking for. Some were either fully booked or it was too far for people. We’ve been grateful to work with some amazing studios though and until we get a bigger market, Addison is the most central it will get for a city as big as Dallas.
Being authentic about my journey is also important to me. We live in a digital world and it’s normal for all of us to share only our highlight reels, but I like to capture it all and put it out there: the ups, the downs, the hardships, because that’s what business (and life) is comprised of and we need more of that transparency on social media.
Navigating any challenges, especially in the first year of business, has made me cherish it even more because it makes me believe that I can really tackle anything that comes my way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Alongside with Sitaara, I still work a full-time job. I studied fashion merchandising at Baylor University and went to get my master’s in fashion marketing in Italy. I’ve been grateful to have studied from amazing universities and follow all my passions in my professional life. After graduating, I started my corporate career in merchandising and recently, eased into a role in product management.
Going after what you want and trying all your interests is a rule I live by because that’s how you get to know yourself better. This characteristic led me to also start a passion project that I’m very proud of in my senior year of college, a jewelry brand called “Archive” where I handmade jewelry. I would sell in outdoor markets across Dallas and each show would be better than the last. It’s a time I really miss!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Insight Timer: I’ve had this app since 2017 and it’s so underrated. Anytime I need to drown out the clutter in my brain, I search for a calming track.
iPad and Apple Pencil: to create vision boards, brain dump, journal, etc.
Therapy: Being fully transparent here because I want to be a part of breaking the stigma. A huge component of Sitaara was dancing to uplift your mental health, and my therapist, who is my sounding board, is an incredibly important part of my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: sitaaradance.co
- Instagram: @sitaaradanceco
