Our Team

Staff

Royal Academy of Punjab believes in serving our community with only the best. From our General Manager right down to our Junior Instructor, we make sure that they are fun-loving, qualified, and dedicated to our mission. We are skilled and dedicated professionals that excel in their trade. Whether you’re taking our bhangra classes, looking for a dhol teacher, or participating in our Punjabi events, our leadership and instruction are the finest in the land.  Meet our team!

Hardeep Singh Sahota

Hardeep Sahota is the General Manager of Royal Academy of Punjab and the first certified Bhangra Instructor in Canada under the CTDA (Canadian Dance Teachers Association). Through Royal Academy of Punjab, he has raised the bar for bhangra institutes, bringing a professional and strategic structure to teaching and showcasing Punjabi Folk Bhangra, not only in Surrey BC, but on provincial, national and international stages. Hardeep Sahota has participated, judged, coached and produced Bhangra events and festivals all over the world since 2008.

Anita Lal

Anita Lal is the Business Development Manager at Royal Academy of Punjab. Her values of seva, social justice and advocacy fuel her work as the co-founder of Poetic Justice Foundation where she has been creating impactful and transformative programming, organizing, and activating her community. Her approach is always inclusive, intersectional and critical. Anita serves on Boards and Advisory Committees for the Province of BC’s Punjabi Canadian Legacy Project, South Asian Studies Institute at The University of the Fraser Valley, and Seva Thrift Society. She is inspired by Dr. Ambedkar’s words: Educate. Agitate. Organize.

Deeksha Arora

Deeksha Arora is the Senior Dance Instructor at Royal Academy of Punjab. She has been an integral part of the Royals success for more than seven years. Deeksha is a certified Giddha Instructor through the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (CDTA). Deeksha has won national and international bhangra competitions with the Senior Royal Queenz team and coaches elite teams for competition. Deeksha is a Simon Fraser University graduate and holds a degree in Criminology and Child Psychology. Her passion for Punjabi folk art fuels her pursuit for higher learning and achievements in the arts sector, as well as giving back to the community by connecting future generations to their heritage.

Manisha Malhi

Manisha Malhi is a Senior Bhangra/Giddha instructor for junior and senior boys and girls. Manisha first joined the academy in 2016 as a student and has been connected to Punjabi folk dances since. Manisha became an instructor in 2018, and has been actively involved in Royal Academy community programs. She is a member of the senior girl’s competitive team Royal Queenz, with whom she has won many local, national and international competitions. Her goal is to continuously challenge herself artistically and support her students on their artistic journey.

Jashan Waraich

Jashan Waraich is a Junior Dance Instructor at Royal Academy of Punjab. Jashan joined Royal Academy in 2018 as a student and fell in love with the art of folk dance. She is currently a competitive dancer on the Royal Rockerz team, and a Junior Instructor for the youth teams. Jashan’s future plans are to become a law enforcement officer and in her freetime can be found volunteering at the Child and Young Care Counselling District Program, She believes in consistency and doing something that brings out the best version of herself, bhangra has always been an outlet for her to advance her skills and connect to her culture. She works with youth to help them establish the same mindset and connections to their culture.

Kashish Sharma

Kashish Sharma is a Junior Dance Instructor and student at Royal Academy Of Punjab. In the last 5 years, she has had many great achievements with the Academy, from competing in competitions to becoming an instructor, she values the bonds she has built with fellow artists and students over the years. She strongly believes in building community through the arts and loves to spend her time volunteering with the organization. Her future goals are to attend medical school and continue serving community through her practice.

Simran Sohal

Simran Sohal is Junior Dance Instructor at Royal Academy of Punjab and competitive dancer with the Royal Queenz. Her passion for bhangra started from a young age, as she has been dancing since the age of 6, and her love for the art continues to grow. She specializes in teaching bhangra, and is in the process of becoming a Certified Gidha Instructor. Simran is inspired by seeing her students’ smiles and their passion for Bhangra! She loves working with her students, inspiring them and watching them succeed to new heights in their art. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, trying different foods, getting her nails done and shopping!

Board Members

Our dedicated Board of Directors spend countless hours each month ensuring the organization stays true to our mission and vision.  Each member brings a special skill and discipline which contributes to our ongoing success and growth.

Vijay Yamla

Director

Hardeep Singh Sahota

General Manager

Anita Lal

Business Development Manager

Manpal Rana

Advisory Board

Paramjit Singh Sidhu

Director

Carol Cousloun

Director

Harjit Singh Sahota

Director

Mo Dhaliwal

Advisory Board

Milan Singh

Advisory Board

COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan
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Royal Academy

Covid-19 Policy

Safe Physical Distancing: The dance floor has been marked into safe distance zones which are at least 2 metres apart or more. Please stay in your marked area. Only one person is permitted per marker.

Hand washing: Please wash or sanitize your hands before and after your class. You may use the sinks in the washrooms (one person at a time).

Masks: The most recent recommendation from Canada’s public health is wearing a non-medical mask or face covering as an additional layer of protection, even when physical distancing is active at the studio.

We recommend you wear a mask while attending class if you are comfortable doing so, but do take it off if you experience dizziness or shortness of breath while wearing it.

Our Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols: We have implemented enhanced antibacterial and antiviral cleaning and sanitizing protocols for all common areas and surfaces, including washrooms, light switches, door handles. etc. This includes increasing the frequency that these items are cleaned (number of times per day) as well as the timing (before and after classes).

If You Feel Unwell: If you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, runny nose or if you are in proximity with someone who is ill, please stay home and DO NOT attend classes (This rule is strictly enforced).

Class Times: We are staggering our class start times with a break between classes to allow for cleaning and sanitization as well as to prevent large groups from congregating in the studio during class cross over.

Limited contact: Staff and students are asked to please refrain from high fives and hugs for the time being from public health advisors.

Travel: If you have recently travelled internationally, please stay home, self- isolate, and refrain from attending the classes. Also, if you have travelled across different provinces within Canada, it is mandatory to let us know in advance.

PARENTS: You can help! Please help your children read and understand these guidelines if you decide to send them for their classes at the studio. We have given the full control to our parents to make the decision of whether to send the children to the studio or continue their classes online via ZOOM. We recommend to encourage the students to take safety as a priority and learn to keep themselves safe.