In the last few years Bollywood dance has become a major world trend. As a style it is based on the complex musical sequences of Indian films and seamlessly fuses what at first may seem like dissimilar techniques. However, Bollywood dance classes are now offered at dance studios around the world and Bollywood dance is learned by people of all ethnic backgrounds.
Definition and Roots of Bollywood Dance
Bollywood dance today is a multicultural blend of styles made for the big screen. The foundation of Bollywood dance is a mixture of Indian classical dances like Kathak and Bharathnatyam as well as Indian folk dances like Bhangra. This blend of different Indian dance styles is further infused with Western dance influences like jazz and pop, making Bollywood dance today a rich tapestry of tradition and innovation.
Bollywood Dance and Bollywood Film
The city of Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the center of India’s prolific Hindi-speaking film industry. The combination of the names ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Bombay’ gave rise to the name ‘Bollywood’. Today the term refers to the Hindi-speaking Indian film industry as well as the unique style of films made there.
Bollywood films are mostly musicals with elaborate costumes, sets, and dance numbers, although the actors almost never do their own singing, focusing instead on interpreting the role and dancing. There are many examples of dance numbers from Bollywood films available on YouTube.
Bollywood Dance’s Popularity and Classes
Outside of India, Bollywood dance first became popular with the Indian diaspora around the globe. From there it slowly gained in popularity among the non-Indian population before finally exploding in popularity and moving into the Western mainstream with commercial Bollywood-influenced film successes like “Bride and Prejudice” and “Slumdog Millionaire”.
Now dance studios in cities around the world–including in North America, Australia, and Western Europe–regularly offer Bollywood dance classes. Some studios devote themselves entirely to teaching Bollywood and Indian dances while others offer Bollywood dance as a part of a range of popular international dance styles like salsa and tango. Some Bollywood dance teachers train in India, while others train locally. At the same time, some teachers are of Indian heritage and others are not. What is plain is that Bollywood dance has become a popular style for people of all backgrounds.
Popularity Among Women
In Bollywood films, choreographed dances are performed by both men and women. Some dance numbers have men and women dancing the same steps side by side, while others have women performing more feminine and sensual dances and men performing more energetic and vigorous dances.
Yet Bollywood dance classes have become especially popular among women. Some women take Bollywood dance classes to learn more about Indian culture while others use Bollywood dance classes as a fun way to keep in shape.
Bollywood Dance
Today the Bollywood dance trend has not only brought Indian films into the spotlight in the Western world, but it has increased the West’s familiarity with Indian culture and helped many women stay in shape.
Sarah E. Rogers - Sarah E. Rogers is a freelance writer and translator based in Madrid, Spain. She currently writes for NileGuide as their Local Expert in ...
