Los Angeles - May 13, 2009

Mumbai’s the Word

Blue13 Dance Company Bollywood Classes

Boy meets girl. Girl gets kidnapped by evil cousin. Boy discovers evil cousin is long-lost brother. Mumbai mafia intervenes.

Some things just can’t be expressed without lip-synching and 50,000 backup dancers. So throw your hands up and go with it at the Blue13 Dance Company’s Bollywood dance workouts.

Achinta S. McDaniel’s raucous classes couldn’t be nuttier. Start with a warm-up, practice basic steps (rib cage rolls, wrist flicks, shoulder shakes), then learn an elaborate Benny Lava-style choreographed number.

McDaniel is a classically trained dancer, so she adds elements of ballet and hip-hop. And her contagious enthusiasm — imagine that ass has a motor! — means you can’t break a sweat without cracking a smile.

Everyone from beginners to old hats is welcome to join in the fun of randomly breaking into song and dance.

It’s a pretty sari bunch.

For class schedules and more information, go to blue13dance.org.

  Bollywood