Wikipedia Biodata / Profile Background
Introduction :
Imagine being a first-generation Indian-American and scrounging around in the entertainment circles for a long period of time! Then with one opening scene in one Oscar-nominated movie, bursting into the scene & becoming an internationally recognized face. It has the look and feel of stuff that dreams are made of.
This is exactly what happened with Reshma Gajjar, the Indian dancer/choreographer who welcomed you into the world of 2016 Superhit “La La Land.”
Personal Details, Early life and Education :
- Reshma is a girl born to Gujarati parents from Ahmedabad, India who immigrated to northern California, USA. She holds a degree in Business Law.
- Her parents are Gujaratis from Ahmedabad who decided to immigrate to America in 1970s. Both her parents were not related to the world of entertainment.
- Her father managed financial portfolios and mother was a financial analyst. She also has one sister.
- Reshma is married to Miles Crawford, a musician and Director in 2015 and is settled in Los Angeles.
- The initial going was so tough that if it wasn’t pure love for what she was doing, Reshma claims she would have dropped everything. This love has taken her through a long list of rejections she faced at one energy sapping audition after another.
Acting / Dancing Career :
- Before she came to be known as the Girl in a yellow dress from La La Land (2016) Reshma has been part of American Beauty (1999), 500 Days of Summer (2009).
- She has toured many international stages as part of music legends Madonna’s show Reinvention and Ricky Martin’s dance tours
- Was chosen to be a part of Michael Jackson’s “This is it” tour before the singing great tragically expired.
- She also worked on Monica Dogra’s video Shiver from the album Spit, where she choreographed and played the protagonist.
- Reshma was also popular for playing the recurring role in the television show; Hit the Floor, where she played the character of Sondi.
Life Outside Work :
- Reshma is also extremely passionate about volunteering for social causes and as part of working with NGO Akanksha, she choreographed a musical with underprivileged children in Mumbai.
- She frequently cooks “Khichdi,” an Indian staple food item.
Interesting Facts, Height and Trivia :
- Reshma started dancing from the very young age of 3. So technically she learned to dance as soon as she learned to walk.
- If it hadn’t been for her dance teacher Lisa Norris who saw her potential, she would never have chosen dancing as a career.
- After her High School Graduation, she had started her studies in Biology when Ms. Norris introduced her to dance conventions. For Reshma, there was no looking back after that as she began her career as a dancer post winning a scholarship to The Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles.
- She attracted Madonna by creating a fusion of Bharatnatyam and Hip Hop for her auditions, even though she is not a trained Bharatnatyam dancer.
- Choreographed the Pussycat Dolls video “Jai ho.”