Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ria began her dance journey training in jazz and ballet, building a deep foundation and respect for technique and form. In college, she explored what it would take to be a multidisciplinary dancer by joining both a Bollywood fusion team and a hip hop dance team, with a keen interest in how each new movement style provided a new avenue for expression. Each form of dance has its own language, and Ria enjoys finding the intersection where the languages overlap or even form their own new language. Performing with Ishami presents the Ria the opportunity to delve styles of South Asian dance that are new to her, as well as hone a contemporary form that honors the art of storytelling.