Ishami Dance Company is a South Asian Contemporary dance company founded by Amit Patel & Ishika Seth in the unceded lands of the Ohlone-Muwekma tribes (Fremont, CA). The company was launched earlier this year and strives to create works to amplify marginalized voices and spark conversations through art. Their debut performance was at the Asian Art Museum in June, 2023 as part of their “Beyond Bollywood” exhibit performance series “Queering Dance Traditions.” They also presented their first original production titled “Pehchaan” at the Oakland Theater Project in July, 2023, receiving standing ovations for four sold-out shows. Ishami’s mission is to explore, unite and amplify the diverse voices, stories and histories of the South Asian diaspora, dismantle social and cultural constructs, through the performing arts. To create work using the idiom of South Asian Contemporary dance, treading the line between traditional and modern. They aspire to show the beauty, depth and immense range of South Asian Contemporary movement locally and across the globe, led by the artistic vision of Amit Patel and Ishika Seth.

Amit Patel (he/him) is a first-generation born Indian-American, who strives to fuse his cultures to explore his own vocabulary. He is notable for “Bollywood Heels,” which challenges the norms of sexual identity and gender expression in dance. He has taught and performed internationally at various festivals, and has danced professionally for over ten years. He has a significant digital presence and is also the Program Manager for Parivar Bay Area.