India's latest cultural export is dance inspired by Bollywood film. It's not just desis who are picking up the steps
 

V. Radhika

On a breezy Sunday morning, figure skater Pascale Bernier drives from Whitby to the National Ballet School in downtown Toronto, along with other members of Icefyre, her synchronized skating team. For the next hour they're on their toes, but instead of practising delicate pirouettes, they're doing Bollywood moves.

"Our theme this year is Bollywood and our routine will be choreographed on 'Dhoom Tana' (Om Shanti Om) and 'Dola Re' (Devdas)," says Bernier, who was so taken with Bollywood dance that she signed up for classes with Bollywood Grooves. Working with instructor and choreographer Lopa Sarkar will help Icefyre prepare a four-minute routine for a synchronized skating competition in December.

"While Indian-inspired music has been used before, it is perhaps [our] first Bollywood-based choreography routine," says team coach Nancy Meredith. She was inspired to take Bollywood on ice after watching routines on the popular TV show So You Think You Can Dance. Though many of her team members had been unaware of Bollywood's existence until then, "We all loved it," gushes Bernier. Convinced a Bollywood- inspired routine would produce great choreography, Meredith set out to learn more, and in the process discovered a growing phenomenon.

India's latest cultural export - elaborately choreographed routines that combine elements of classical, folk and Western contemporary dance set to foot-tapping rhythms - is rushing to North American stages, filling prominent spots on the program at major cultural events like the Luminato arts festival and the Spiegel Show at Harbourfront Centre. Bollywood Grooves even performed at a Toronto Raptors game in 2007.

Fuelled by demand from a growing South Asian population and the increasing visibility of Bollywood films, Bollywood dance is now being taught not only in South Asian classes but also in mainstream dance studios and city-run community centres across the GTA. It's catching on quickly in this diverse city, whose denizens are ready to experiment with different cultural art forms.

Every Wednesday at 8 p.m., after feeding their families and tucking young ones into bed, a group of women rush to River Grove Community Centre in Mississauga, where Poonam Khanna leads them through moves set to the latest Bollywood hits. Fusing the goals of fun and fitness, they groove week after week with dedication. Classically trained in Bharatanatyam, Khanna ventured into Bollywood dance when the community centre approached her to conduct a class. That was four years ago.

"We look for different activities that would meet the need of the community we serve. River Grove had a diverse population and we saw a need for (Bollywood dance)," says Jayne Culbert, who introduced the class while a supervisor of community programs at River Grove. Two community centres in Toronto - one in Etobicoke and one in Malvern - offer Bollywood dance classes for children. In light of the programs' success, the city is now considering expanding them into other community centres and offering more class options.

"With our numerical explosion in GTA we are mainstream," says Puja Amin, artistic director of Sanskriti Dance and Yoga Center. But more and more non-desis are being drawn to the energy and music of Bollywood dance. Sarkar, who runs the Canadian chapter of Bollywood Grooves, and Amin both say their students are racially diverse. They conduct classes in multiple locations and report that in some classes, desis are a minority, or even entirely absent.

Barbara Bailey waited nearly a decade to learn to groove in a class that included people like her who were "tall, big and white." "Ten years ago I saw a (Bollywood) dance at the CNE and have been looking for a class since," she says. "Now it is going mainstream and I know there are a couple of schools which have a mixed student group." She's been taking classes since last September. Getting lost in a few Bollywood movies was all it took to send Shannon McDonough scouting dance classes. "You cannot look at Bollywood and not smile when watching people dance," she gushes. Having signed up with Bollywood Grooves, she says, "I wish I had a class every day. I love it that much."

Cooped up in a fluorescent "cube farm" during business hours, Laura Dauphine loves her dose of Bollywood at Sanskriti. "The songs (Amin) picks are fun, appropriate for the class. The steps may be simplified, but you feel that thrill of moving with the music and expressing the emotion of the song," says the financial copywriter who trained in ballet for 10 years and spent two years studying Bharatanatyam.

Responding to growing demand and competition, a number of conventional dance schools have added Bollywood to their existing curricula alongside jazz, ballet and belly dancing. Jacqueline Gobeil-Nolan, who runs MainStreet Dance in Markham, got a taste of Bollywood at a multicultural show three years ago. Enthused, she offered a free class and found students were eager to pay for more. "We get guest instructors, but I have danced (Bollywood) myself," she says. "It is a lot of fun and that is why I wanted to offer it to others."

Laura Furtado, a trained belly dancer who also grooves to Bollywood, did the same. She cites a trend toward Bollywood, noting that her classes are filled mostly by non–South Asians.

The spike in popularity of Bollywood dance has birthed a mini-industry, embracing professional companies like Bollywood Grooves, Sanskriti and Shiamak Davar, but also soloists, like Khanna, who work independently or are contracted by studios. With Bollywood becoming a popular choice of entertainment for weddings and parties, hitherto amateur jigs are getting the professional touch. Khanna is often approached by women of various ages to choreograph a routine for special events. "Recently I choreographed an item for four elderly women who were organizing a party," she says. "It was the 40th birthday party of one of these women's daughter-in-law."

Amin has planned a Bollywood-themed shower for a Chinese bride and a wedding reception for a Caucasian couple. Dance was, of course, an integral component of each.

Such connections have also led to some creative fusion. Sarkar and Amin, both trained in classical Indian dance, regularly team up with dancers from other disciplines to bring greater visibility to Bollywood styles. Their companies include professional dancers trained in various areas, who each bring their unique expertise. "Bollywood dance has no boundaries," says Sarkar. "We can take everything and blend it together. It gives that freedom."

Sarkar's colleague Kwasi McKnight says, "Take a Bollywood piece and it can be anything. It takes from jazz, hip hop, African. It is almost like contemporary dance but it has a very visible origin. Its roots are classical." Growing up in Trinidad, McKnight soaked up the ubiquitous Indian influence, which included Bollywood movies and music. He has been tapping to Bollywood rhythms long enough to choreograph entire routines for his company.

And all this without much knowledge of Hindi. McKnight admits it would help to speak the language of Bollywood. But, he points out, "The celebration of dance and music is universal. You do not have to understand the language to enjoy the arts."

V. Radhika is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Email desilife@thestar.ca