Bollywood Dance | A Beginners Guide

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Bollywood Beats - A Beginners Guide to Bollywood Dance

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Author: Zenobia Talati, MyVillage:

Bollywood Beats - A Beginners Guide to Bollywood Dance

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When I showed up to my first Bollywood dance class a few years ago I couldn’t stop my imagination getting the better of me. I saw myself emerging from the lesson having acquired the grace and beauty of actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. It wouldn’t be long till I’d be swaying my sari-clad stuff to the beat of cheeky lads banging on dhol drums. I was to perfect the moves that made India’s film capital, Mumbai, a world-famous centre of music and cinema. But I soon learned there’s a whole lot more to it than a few sexy hip shakes and tinkling ankle bells.

Bollywood dance is exciting and invigorating and a more fun way to get fit than spending an hour on a treadmill. You also get to unleash your expressive side and learn new skills. The routines are challenging but accessible to both complete beginners and the more experienced dancer, and you don’t have to be Indian or speak Hindi (I don’t) to get a lot out of them. Classes are often dominated by girls but men are definitely welcome.

After stretching you’ll begin with some high-impact Bhangra (North Indian folk music)…much more inspirational than the canned music you’d warm up to in a conventional aerobics class and the beat is so energetic you don’t notice how much you’re sweating. Next, you’re taught a short choreographed routine with music and moves stretching from the classically inspired to pop fusion, Latino, and hip hop. The emphasis is more on creativity than authenticity but everything is tied together with the distinctive grace, energy and, let’s face it, exuberant cheesiness of Bollywood cinema.

Dramatic music is an integral part of Bollywood film, so you really notice an intense level of emotion involved in this style of dance. One moment you are the innocent village girl, hiding shyly from an admirer, the next a seductive siren who has come out to play.

Unlike a real Bollywood star, I don’t have a dozen daily costume changes to brighten up the greyness of city life. But I have had amazing opportunities to perform Bollywood dance routines around London for a variety of festivals, events, and shows. So for all the budding Shah Rukh Khans and Priety Zinta’s out there you should never stop listening to your dreams or your inner drama queen.

For more information and details about classes (London only) check out www.bollywoodgrooves.com

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