I love watching Bollywood movies. And no, it’s not for the Kapoors or the Khans that I watch them for; it’s for the dance numbers - the chataks , mataks , thumkas , lathkas and jhatkas . So, when I hear that there is a Bollywood dance workshop in the city, I decide to attend it.
The hall at Talwalkers is packed with men and women between the ages of 20 and 40. While some are attending the workshop out of curiosity, others have come with the sole purpose of learning Bollywood dancing; many want to either polish their dance skills or add to their repertoire.
The participants of the Bollywood dance workshop with Gayatri
For medical student Kavitha R.V., it’s about learning dance, any dance. “I love to dance but have never had the opportunity to learn any dance form as it was always studies first for me. So when I saw the advert for Bollywood dancing, I jumped at it as it is just a two-hour class. I like watching Bollywood flicks and their dance, sets, costumes... fascinate me”
Techie Abhilash S., on the other hand, joined so that he can look “cool” on the dance floor. “Bollywood dancing is rather popular in the city, with several hotels hosting Bollywood dance parties,” he says, as Reshmi B.S. a research fellow at Kerala Agriculture University, agrees. “Bollywood dance is extremely versatile and that could be a reason why this class is crowded,” says Reshmi. “Relaxing,” is what techie Riyas Abdul Rahim, calls dance. “Dance is my stress-buster. Although I may have two left feet, I tend to relax and have fun on the dance floor.”
Soon, dance instructor Gayatri Bhupati comes in and all of us take position. The men push the women to the front and assume the back row.
Before she starts her lesson, Gayatri says: “There are no restrictions in Bollywood dancing, you just let your body move to the beat. However, do pay heed to the lyrics being played; only then will the expressions and movements match the steps. It doesn’t make sense to pump your fists up in the air when the singer talks about flowers blossoming or her heart beating for her lover. By the way, expressions go a long way in adding lustre to your performance, so don’t be afraid to emote. Smile, have fun and enjoy as you burn off some serious calories.”
The class begins with a warm-up session. So far, all of us are doing well as we do the various light yoga stretches. The music soon changes, the song we are going to dance to, says Gayatri, is a mix of Rajasthani folk, Bhangra and PalloLatke from the movie ShaadiMeinZaroorAana .
The music begins with some quick footwork, twirls and thumkas . Gayatri is hopping around, lifting her legs, moving those hips… as we desperately try to copy. Although a few men grumble that the moves are “girly”, they do the steps. They begin to protest though as they are brought to the front row to perform the next part of the song - a Bhangra.
While raising our arms and pumping our shoulders to the music is easy enough, coordinating our feet with our arms is a task for most of us.
“Stamp your feet, whip those hips, pump your arms up in the air,” says Gayatri, as way of instruction. And while Gayatri keeps reminding us to smile, all most of us can muster is a sort of manic smile because being deliberately cheerful and still following the steps is not easy.
Soon, time is up, and we are only halfway through the song. “I was hoping to learn the steps to the entire song today,” says Preethy Prasad, an engineer who hopes to devote her life to dance.
Organised by Salsa Kerala, the Bollywood dance workshop is going to be a regular event, with Chennai-based Gayatri, coming down to the city for classes.
(A close encounter with people and places in the city)
