Meet the Team

Venkatesh Acharya, Instructor

Born and brought up in a small town on the shores of sun kissed Arabian Sea,  Udupi in India. Udupi is famous for food, music and dance. Venkatesh grew up eating, dancing while enjoying music. He has learnt classical dance form Bharathanatyam, and Yakshagaana the folk style. He grew up watching Bollywood movies and dance. He used to be the official choreographer for all the dance events at his high school, college and his family functions. He has Zumba, Strong, Aqua, and BollyX certifications. He is trained to teach fitness classes to seniors as well. Come and enjoy one of his fun packed Bollywood fitness classes. You will leave the class wanting to dance more.

Jyothi Poruri, Instructor

Jyothi is a bharathanatyam dancer and has trained extensively in this art form. After dancing her way through college, she established a classical dance school in Pittsburgh for a few years. While she perfected the classical art form, Jyothi is also passionate about folk and bollywood dancing. After moving to Austin, she decided to pursue her interest in Bollywood dancing and found the perfect opportunity with Agni. Jyothi has taught Bollywood fitness classes with Bollywood Shake for 2 years and with Agnifit for a year. She is now an instructor with the Agni dance academy and has 4 recitals under her belt! 

Sarika Sabnis, Instructor

Agni became Sarika's family in 2015 when she joined us as a member of the performance team. Thus, she infuses Bollywood dance with fitness classes, offering action-packed fitness while incorporating multiple dance forms into each class. It is never a surprise to see her with her dancing shoes on, always ready to dance. Whenever Sarika is not dancing, she works as a Marketing Coordinator for an Engineering Construction firm.

Arthy Saravanan, Instructor

Arthy began as a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and has evolved to enjoy all forms of Bollywood dancing! She loves to incorporate the fun part of dance with fitness and has found her niche in bollywood fitness! When she's not dancing, Arthy practices as a physician in the Austin community. She is married and has two little girls.

Preethi Hannah, Instructor

Preethi began dancing from the age of 2. Ever since, she used every opportunity to explore several dance styles, including Hip-Hop, Tribal Fusion Bellydance, Semi-classical, Salsa, Contemporary, Samba, Kuthu and Bollywood. She has experience leading dance teams during her undergrad studies and has won several dance competitions. She was also spot selected for the show ‘Tamil Pesum Kadhanayagi’, particularly for her flair as a well rounded ‘artist’, after having had the privilege of being asked to shake a leg with an upcoming actor in the Tamil film industry.
Besides being a passionate dancer, Preethi is also trained in boxing, and has been rigorous about strength & cardio fitness. Her constant vigor to further her skills in dance & fitness, and sheer enthusiasm to share her unique skills in helping people explore fitness through dance, helps her bring a fresh twist to AgniFit. When she’s not at the studio, you can catch her dancing with her husband, and her 15 month old little girl.
Be ready to throw in some ‘jabs’ while shimmy-ing to Bollywood music!

Darshana, Instructor

Darshana has over 8 years of Bharatanatyam dance experience and has completed  her Arangetram. She is trained from the renowned Shiamak Academy. Her favorite dance styles are Classical, Bollyhop and contemporary! She brings a fusion of traditional techniques and modern flair to every move. Besides dancing Darshana loves experiencing fitness through body combat and Pilates. Now, she's ready to share her passion for dance and fitness as a dance fitness instructor.