Founders & Coordinators
On a ZOOM meeting at the beginning of the Corona crisis in April 2020, Christina Gomes, Ayla Joncheere and Aakansha Maheshwari built the foundations of Kalbeliya World. These three women for across the world form a strong and complementary team to oversee the Kalbeliya World strategies, team communication, training, funding, administration, and development.
Christina has spent the past 20-years as a self-employed entrepreneur specializing in project management. She also spent 10-years working in major media companies in New York and Los Angeles.
She is the Co-founder of the Kalbeliya Arts Academy a learning center she created with a large Kalbeliya community in Pushkar, Rajasthan. The center closed in March 2020 due to Covid19. Shorlty after, she headed a covid emergency food mission gathering 100 donors to support 100 Kalbeliya families.
She is the Co-founder of the Kalbeliya Arts Academy a learning center she created with a large Kalbeliya community in Pushkar, Rajasthan. The center closed in March 2020 due to Covid19. Shorlty after, she headed a covid emergency food mission gathering 100 donors to support 100 Kalbeliya families.
Christina speaks English.
Ayla is a preeminent researcher with a degree in Indian Languages & Cultures, a specialist in Dance Anthropology & expert in the performing arts of Rajasthan; She is currently affiliated with Ghent University. She also holds a postgraduate degree in Cultural Management; and is a dancer & choreographer, and co-founder of Bollylicious & creative director and founder of Maghenta, platform for Indian inspired arts.
Ayla speaks Dutch, English, Hindi, and French.
Aakansha is an Indian Classical & Kalbeliya Choreographer & Performer. She is the founder of BollyPop® Dance Fitness. She was born and raised in India. She holds a BA in Sociology from Delhi University. She is a regular Dance Instructor at UCLA. She is the Co-founder of Desert Fire Project. Since 2020, she is also a Fitness Content Creator for Cure Fit.
Aakansha speaks English and Hindi.
