By Patrick Jonas

THEIR performance was the talk of the just-concluded Vancouver Winter Olympics and it is now a YouTube hit. Meryl Davis and Charlie White, representing the United States in the ice dancing competition, have taken Bollywood to the skating rink.

The University of Michigan students put on a stunning display in the original dance category with an Indian- themed piece that had the audience rooting for them. And sitting on the edge of her seat and applauding their every move was Ms Anuja Rajendra.

For her, those few minutes were extra special.

After all, she had choreographed the dance performed by the ice skaters. Ms Rajendra told tabla! that watching the performance felt like being "transported to another world" and is all praise for Davis and White.

"The same choreography could result in a baseline performance by performers who don't feel they are really part of the item and are just carrying out the motions. I wanted Davis and White to be part of the music, part of the performance so it would be as if trained Indian dancers from India were performing this piece instead of someone just trying to copy. And this was definitely achieved by them," said Ms Rajendra, who runs BollyFit, a fitness and dance studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The judges were impressed too and the performance moved Davis and White from third place to second.

They retained the position after the third and final performance, winning the US a silver medal.

Ms Rajendra had created the Bollywood- themed dance on skates after White's mother approached her.

"She had read about me in the media here in Michigan and asked if I would be willing to help Davis and White. She told me they were considering doing an Indian-themed item for the upcoming competitive season. She was very humble. It was only after I googled Davis and White that I realised what strong skaters they were... they are the US National champions and Four Continents champions!" said Ms Rajendra.

So how did she choose the songs and choreograph the item?

"I gave them many of my favourites to listen to and showed them choreography I had done for several songs. And, as it turned out, I had just choreographed two of the three selections (Kajre Re from Bunty Aur Babli, and Dola Re Dola from Devdas) for students at BollyFit. It is exciting for my students, who are of every age and background, to watch Davis and White dance to steps (and modifications of steps) that they've learned in our classes," she said.

Ms Rajendra, 37, was born in Michigan but spent six years of her childhood in Patiala with her grandparents. However, she picked up dance only after returning to the US.

Dance also brings painful memories to her.

Ms Rajendra had all but given up dance till she set up BollyFit three year ago. She and her older sisters, Archana and Rachana, had danced together since childhood as The Rajendra Sisters Dance Troupe. But tragedy struck when Rachana was killed in a car accident.

Ms Rajendra lost interest in dancing; 10 years went by and two children came along. "I gained 60 pounds (27.2kg) in my first pregnancy and, without losing it all, gained 45 (20.4kg) in the second. My children were born 18 months apart. With my babies at home, I used to turn on the music and move their arms and legs, and found a part of myself awaken along the way," she said.

By then, with bhangra and Bollywood starting to become familiar to Americans in Michigan, she was also getting requests from friends to teach them Indian dance. So she started teaching a class locally and it became a big hit.

"I never thought this is what I would do professionally. I figured out how I would re-enter the professional world after my children grew up as I have an engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Michigan. But here I am, loving every moment and BollyFit is evolving naturally and people are loving it," she said.

Her children Chakor and Kabir are now five and 31/2 years old. And her husband Vijay Sankaran is her "rock", supporting her every move.

Now that she has spoken to tabla!, Ms Rajendra is extra keen to visit Singapore.

Her husband's cousin is the principal of a school here in Singapore and the family hopes to visit someday soon. "It would be great to bring BollyFit there," she says.

With the YouTube video doing the rounds in Singapore she sure will not need any introduction here. But with Bollywood-themed workout classes already available here, she might be in for some competition.

patrickj@sph.com.sg