Exploring Life & Business with Nandita Bajaj of Center for Performance Arts and Learning

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nandita Bajaj. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We started teaching in 2014 and have been featured on Fox 2 News, have been invited to perform at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino, at The Henry in Dearborn, we have also been members of the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade for three years. Our performance for the Detroit Pistons Primetime pregame show in 2019 was another feather in our cap. We are a multi-cultural center located in the Novi Wixom area – offering various art, music, language, creative expression, and dance classes, spanning various cultures and age groups. Diversity defines us – Unity in Diversity. The idea for our place took foundation when we started teaching in various locations – community colleges, dance studios, local arts centers. Visiting various dance studios around town, teaching in various locations across the Metro Detroit area and at various festivals, we sensed and realized the division that existed between the cultures, people, and styles, or the mindset of a (Dance) Studio versus just a space to be creative, a space to dance, express and be yourself, was huge. Our value proposition “To break the mold”, we want to exist in a cohesive environment instead of behind a wall, we are putting the love of the arts and culture out there, making it a centerpiece of the community, bringing in people to be comfortable, and feel successful even if it’s their first time trying it, making sure age is not a factor and neither is your background. We want to fill the void created by the suspension of some the cultural aspects through regular education at the school level. We want to bring people together. 

Mission Statement: Bringing people together through Dance, Arts, and Culture 

Vision Statement: Center for Performance Arts and Learning strives to bring people together through dance, music, arts, and culture. Creating and fostering an all-inclusive environment dedicated to building a strong culture of acceptance, empowerment, and collaboration, spanning diverse cultural communities. 

Providing a center “A Room” to Learn, Reflect, Collaborate and Thrive 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
A place with lofty goals and being that this all about people the road is never paved as smooth and easy as you think. We were still in the process of overcoming the struggles of a new business (a small business at that) when Covid hit us hard. We survived with some government assistance, a lot of support from the family (financial and physical), fundraising supported by the families of our student base and the community we serve, and the generosity and grace shown by our landlords. The struggle continues but the results we see in the smiles and sense of achievement and accomplishment from our students makes it worth. We are steadfast in our resolve to work with the community and give them a safe space to Learn, Reflect, Collaborate and Thrive. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dance, Music, Creative Expression, and Art are all mutually exclusive and yet intertwined. Dance is a visual expression using our bodies to convey what we feel. Music on the other hand is an abstract expression of the same, using an instrument or our own voice. Creative Expression uses language, spoken or written English, or any other language for that matter, while Art is a visual representation on paper. Aerial Arts have the power to make you fly. Language Arts opens doors to new places. And Theatre gives you the chance to live the stage life. These require us to use all our senses and feel the idea and the depth of the idea. In conjunction they are an artist’s vision – prose or poetry, represented as a musical composition, visualized as a dance piece, leading to reflection and visualization, creating a collaborative work product to put forth a thriving production. 

We are geared towards providing classes for all ages and levels, cultures, and ethnicities: 

Beginner to Advanced Level Classes 

Performance opportunities 

Family Environment (something for everyone) 

Performance Training 

MSBOA training and accompanists 

Cultural Assimilation 

A Unique place for all of us 

Let’s learn – age is not a reason not to 

Here at the Studio: 

All the classes are offered for all ages. 

Language Classes – Spanish, German, ESL/EFL, Hindi, Japanese, French, American Sign Language 

Creative Expression Classes – Sewing Classes, Special EFX MakeUp, Chess Club, Monthly Tie-dye Parties 

Theatre Arts – Public Speaking, Debate Club & Training 

Dance – HipHop, Ballet, Tap; Contemporary, Ballet for Boys, Creative Movement 

Aerial Arts – Aerial Apparatus classes – Silks, Lyra, Trapeze, Hammock, Aerial Yoga 

Health and Fitness – Yoga (for all); Tone and Stretch; Resistance Training 

Music – Drums; Guitar; Keyboard; Violin, Viola, Cello; Piano; Ukulele, Percussion, Voice Lessons; Community Choir 

Fine Arts – Art Journaling; Drawing and Painting, Sketching, Monthly Paint & Sip Sessions 

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck is an inherent part of life, but luck favors those who are willing to seize the opportunities presented. Opportunities multiply when they are seized and luck dances with those who can move to the rhythm of the music. So yes, we have been favored, people have been accepting of the space and the idea of arts promoted by the space. 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@cen4pal.net
• Website: www.cen4pal.net
• Instagram: Cen4PAL
• Facebook: Cen4PAL
• Twitter: Cen4PAL
• Youtube: Cen4PAL

Image Credits
Lifetime Videos and Photography
Akeel lakdawala
Arti Dhiraaj Singh
Cen4PAL