Bollywood-style dance classes are becoming popular across the country with people who are looking for more variety in their exercise routine, according to an Associated Press story. (Bollywood is the named coined for the Hindi-language film industry.)
Bollywood World describes the dance form as a combination of traditional Indian dance, folk dancing and sometimes a Latino and Arabic influence. Denver’s Bollywood West packs in crowds four nights a week. In Houston, Hybrid Rhythms, a Bollywood-style studio, has a waiting list.
The American Council on Exercise says ethnic dancing, such as salsa dancing, belly dancing and now Bollywood dancing, is a major growth area for gyms and dance studios. The classes attract people who don’t usually exercise, along with gym members bored by running on treadmills, according to the AP report.
AARP agrees, saying that dancing "can breathe new life into a tired soul; make a spirit soar; unleash locked-away creativity; unite generations and cultures; inspire new romances or rekindle old ones; trigger long-forgotten memories; and turn sadness into joy, if only during the dance."
AP photo by David Zalubowski shows instructor Renu Kansal leading students in practicing Bollywood dance steps at a dance school in south Denver.
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