Board of Directors
Gihan Fernando, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors
Gihan Fernando joined the Dakshina board after being inspired and moved by a number of the company’s performances. A native of Sri Lanka, Gihan grew up all over Africa before moving to the US to attend college. He is an assistant dean at Georgetown University Law Center, and recently served as President of the board of his professional association, NALP (the Association of Legal Career Professionals.) Gihan lives in Washington, DC, a city he has long considered home.
Paul Isakson, Chairman of Board of Directors
Paul Isakson joined Dakshina’s Board in the fall of 2008. He learned of Dakshina simply by attending several performances and being affected in a very positive way. After the Fall Festival show at the Lincoln Theatre, he offered to lend a hand and was invited to join the Board. Born and raised in North and South Dakota, Paul studied mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology near Boston, and then pursued his dream job as an automotive engineer at the Ford Motor Company. While there, he began to learn about Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) as well as Lean and Six Sigma, going on to become a certified Six Sigma Black Belt in 2000 and teaching these methods to fellow employees. Along the way, he fell in love with teaching. In 2001 he entered government service and helped found the Navy’s LeanSixSigma College, serving as it’s first lead instructor. Paul moved to DC in the fall of 2007 and continues to work for the Department of Defense as a Master Black Belt. Currently, his principle duties include teaching, facilitating teams, and strategizing how organizations can continually improve everything they do–all skills he hopes to use to help Dakshina focus, grow and excel even more.
John Mellott
John Mellott joined the Dakshina board in the fall of 2008. After seeing several Dakshina performances, he was inspired by the diversity of the different dance pieces. He was also drawn by the company’s wonderful ability to blend traditional Indian and modern dance. John is currently heading up the Governance/Administration subcommittee at Dakshina and also serves as liaison with the LGBT Arts Consortium. John is an IT Specialist with the Federal Government in DC.
Azza Mounib
Azza Mounib is a well-known native Egyptian dancer and instructor. She has been a central figure in Egyptian-American entertainment and has performed at international folk festivals in the Washington Metropolitan area for over 30 years. Her exceptional mix of traditional Egyptian dance and Oriental dancing has earned her impressive credentials in this art form. She continues to perform the traditional Egyptian dances at various festivals around the United States, and at cultural events such as the Ana Alarabi Festival, the Northern Virginia Folk Festival, the World Bank International Festival, the International Folk Festival, and the World’s Fair in Knoxville, TN. Azza wanted to be a part of Dakshina since she saw the group perform at the Fall Festival in Washington, D.C., in October 2008. She believes in presenting cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity to American audiences and does that through both her teaching and her performances. Azza feels that her commitment to Dakshina inspires change and celebrates the richness inherent in a multi-cultural society.
Ajay K. Ojha
Ajay K. Ojha, PhD currently works for the Department of Defense. In his spare time, Ajay teaches at the university and college level, is helping to build the foundation for the United States Public Service Academy and regularly volunteers in community service. Ajay graduated with a BA from The University of North Carolina, MA from Eastern Illinois University and PhD from Southern Illinois University. Ajay sits on various local, national and university affiliated boards. Ajay enjoys running on the National Mall, reading and international travel.
Daniel Phoenix Singh, President and Artistic Director
Daniel Phoenix Singh is the Artistic Director and President of Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company. Under his leadership, the company has won many awards and has become one of the leading companies in the DC area. Singh holds an MFA in Dance and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Maryland. He also holds a Laban Movement Analyst Certificate from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in New York City. He received a baccalaureate degree in Dance and Computer Science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Singh trained in Bharata Natyam with Guru Meena Telikicherla of Nrityanjali, Maryland for several years. Singh’s most recent explorations in dance include Cuban/Colombian variations of Salsa and Merengue with Javier Varela and Shawn Malone and he is currently studying Argentine Tango with Sharna Fabiano.
Krishnan Subramanian
Krishnan has been passionate about dance since his childhood days. He participated in a number of dance performances at cultural events in school and community events in Mumbai, India where he grew up. He comes from a traditional South Indian family that values arts; particularly Bharata Natyam and Carnatic vocal music. He is trained in Carnatic music singing which is strongly connected with Bharata Natyam. He has also learned Hindustani vocal music. He along with other members of Khush DC recently performed on a Bollywood style dance number at one of Khush DC’s social events which Daniel helped choreograph. Krishnan was very positively inspired when he attended one of Dakshina’s fall festival performances and watched Mallika Sarabai and other Dakshina members perform. He wanted to become part of Dakshina after that and joined the board in December of 2009. Krishnan is also currently serving the board of Khush DC, a local south asian LGBT association. Krishnan has been living in the DC area for 8 years and currently works for a Management and Technology consulting firm.
Rashad Ullah
Rashad Ullah first worked with Dakshina as a tabla player at a rehearsal in late summer 2009. Thrilled by the performances of Dakshina and their guest artists in the Fall Festival, Rashad joined the board in December 2009. Born American with roots in Bengal, Rashad studied both South Asian and Western art music at Simon’s Rock College (B.A., music), where he composed choral pieces and performed across genres and eras, from Josquin to Jobim. In college, Rashad worked at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and first discovered modern dance. Later, at Yale (M.A., M.Phil., linguistics), he sang in the acclaimed Yale Collegium Musicum. Rashad’s own interest in activism and service resonates with Dakshina’s mission of social change through the arts. Since December 2008, he has served on the planning team of Drishtipat DC, a Bangladesh-focused human rights organization. Rashad is proud to call Washington, D.C., his new home. Singing and playing tabla, guitar, and keyboard, he is a Resident Artist at the SAPAN Performance Company. He is also a Senior Linguist at McNeil Technologies, Inc.