Bend it like Bollywood

It’s an unusual set-up for an extra-curricular activity at school,but that’s precisely what the purpose is,says Didier Combeau,principal,French Embassy School. “It’s a fun way of introducing children to Indian culture. The children are all expatriates,who have little connect with Indian culture. Bollywood is lively and very popular among these students,” he says. The classes,introduced in the last academic session,now run to packed houses.

Likewise,at the American Embassy School (AES),instructor Reema Sarin makes the group of 20 go through a high-energy session of dance and an intensive aerobics workout,interspersed with Bollywood moves,where the children kick their legs in the air,squat and twist to the latest Bollywood number. Her sessions called Bollyfit is part of the summer school activity. “We introduce the kids to aerobics and Bollywood dance through these summer programmes. This year too we are on the lookout for instructors,” says Monika Dewan,co-director,summer programme,AES.

The hour-long session operates like a mini-workout,where Sarin exhorts her students to “jump,sway and catch the beat”. They begin with a 15-minute warm-up and groove to songs such as Bachna Ae Hasino,Aa Dekhen Zaraa,Twist,and Ahun Ahun ,at a rapid speed of 140 beats per minute.

With a large expat community thriving in the Capital,international schools in the city have hit upon a novel way to encourage kids to learn about the country’s pop culture through Bollywood’s dance moves.

Janya Gambhir,a coy 10-year-old student of AES watches Sarin intently,as she bounces and then changes into a bhangra pose. “I like the brisk movement from aerobics to choreography. It helps in coordination and focussing,” says Gambhir,who underwent the grind last year at Sarin’s Chanakyapuri studio. “This routine is quite challenging for even someone who visits the gym regularly,but the children pick it up faster. To make it more interesting for them,I mix in a bit of games,” says Sarin,a model-turned-choreographer.

For 10-year-old Alice Recoura,the 45-minute session is more than a Bollywood bending exercise. It comes with a bonus — alongside the moves of Munni,instructor Vikram Samson also explains the history of item songs in Bollywood,shows their clippings,and gives a character sketch of actor Salman Khan playing the corrupt-but-good cop in Dabangg. “Children get more interested when you create an imagery for them,” says Samson. Recoura,who attends the bi-weekly classes,shares,“I did not know anything about Bollywood before the dance classes,but now I have started watching Hindi movies with my mother,” she says.

Her Italian mother Francesca,is a former ballet dancer. “It is cool to get a glimpse of Indian culture through Bollywood. Ballet is boring,Bollywood dance is fun for the kids. It is also excellent exercise,” she states.

The lessons are revised at home by 10-year-old Deborah Kraak,who likes dancing to Chor Bazaari from the film Love Aaj Kal. The standard III student of French Embassy School says,“I had never tried any form of dance before,but I enjoy it a lot. I will continue with this when I grow up,” says Kraak.

The third international school in the city,The British School in Chanakyapuri,has discontinued their Bollywood classes.”The thrust is more towards purist dance forms such as kathak,” says Abha Chaudhary,activities co-ordinator at the school.