Burning calories through some Bollywood flair will leave you forgetting about the treadmill. We’re talking Bhangra! A high-energy dance that turns every step into a celebration. Deco hit up “Nara Bollywood Dance Academy” to get our groove on and prove that two left feet can still bring the party!
Who needs a gym when you can sweat on the dance floor like this?
At “Nara Bollywood Dance Academy” in Miami, they’re all about big moves and infectious energy.
Nara Maharaj-Duncan, owner of Nara Bollywood Dance Academy: “You don’t have to be Indian; you don’t have to be a certain age. I welcome all backgrounds and walks of life. Two left feet welcome.”
Her classes mainly focus on Indian moves.
Nara Maharaj-Duncan: “Typically, we will start with like, introducing ourselves, making sure people know each other. And then warm-up, and then we break down the moves and then we put them together and then we learn choreography.”
Nara Maharaj-Duncan: “We offer Bollywood mostly, Garba, which is a folk style from Gujarat, and Bhangra.”
Bhangra is from the region of Punjab in North India and typically resembles a harvest dance.
Nara Maharaj-Duncan: “You see people doing workouts with Bhangra. It’s very upbeat; we hop a lot and lots of footwork and jumping. Beats, drums, very — it’s kind of like storytelling. For example, this is Punjab; you will see this a lot. You have probably have seen this. There’s shoulders.”
ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” has gotten into the Bhangra action. For fans of heart-pumping workouts, make sure to come in comfortable clothes and bare feet.
Nara Maharaj-Duncan: “You can take the class for fun and exercise. Some people — actually, most people like performing. They like dressing up and learning about the culture and going all out. For Lori, we do Bhangra, which is in January.”
And the ultimate goal is to experience the joy of dance.
Nara Maharaj-Duncan: “Dance became my tool to connect people, educate about the culture, and I see the healing power of it too. Like people walk in class and they have no confidence, and then they leave and feel empowered and connected.”
You can join the Bhangra program for $28 per drop-in or $280 for the whole program.
FOR MORE INFO:
Nara Bollywood Dance Academy
434 SW 3rd Ave, Miami, FL 33130
Website
