Can Bd teachers teach Bollywood?

Farasha Hanem

New member
Lilith, Meera, Duvet, and Jane, thank you for sharing what you've learned, and THANK you for the videos! :D

Yes, the routine we learned at the workshop ended up being a fusion piece, because it was decided by the majority that some of the moves that were taught were too hard to pull off (which is understandable), so there was some bellydance improvising. :confused: At first, I was kind of afraid all my questions were a bit off-topic, but I think now that the questions and the video sort of brings home what this topic is about. I think the teacher of the workshop that I went to is genuinely seeking to teach (and learn more herself) about authentic Bollywood-style dancing, but after the workshop was over, in the end, it ended up being a fusion piece. :( Which would be okay, if we would call it a fusion piece. I'm by no means trying to belittle my troupe, no way; I'd just like to see our troupe be...I'm lost for words...well, I want to see our troupe grow and learn, and be more careful with our labelling, and just be more careful in general when it comes to the dances of other cultures. Sure, I want to have fun, and I'm guilty of being silly at home by doing things like doing bellydance moves to Alvin and the Chipmunk's cover of "Born This Way." But I'm not gonna take it to the stage and call it bellydance! :shok:

I guess in some cases, when a cultural dance is learned, there is the danger of it becoming either Westernized, or turned into pop culture (couldn't think of a better descriptive). It's all right if it's labelled as such. But I think it's important to learn the genuine article when it comes to any genre of dance before we get experimental, and to be careful what we call it. I don't have any answer to the problem of some teachers who attempt to teach Bollywood who aren't ready/qualified to do so, or students who take such classes and go off on a dance tangent. All I can say is I believe we're all responsible for our own education, and the path of learning is a lifetime one.

Hang on, I have some quotes to add...


It was a real eye-opener for me to try Bollywood and realise just how fast the dances really are. During the workshop with Katie even the most experienced belly dancer were really struggling to squeeze all the moves into each section. We all looked fabulous doing it at half time, but it all went to hell in a handbasket when we had to speed up!

Yeah, TELL me about it, we went through the same thing at the workshop we attended! xD


Hi Farasha, I know this is a late response, I hope you don't mind.

Not at all, I appreciate your input very much! :D


Anyway you and your troops dancing is really good, but the dance moves are sort of bollywood but soemthing in the choregraphy just seems a little more of a mix between Bollywood and Bellydance. I'm not expert on Bollywood style but its mostly Bhangra mixed with tradtional Indian dance styles like bharatnatyam, khatak, odissi, and of course some inspired BD moves. The costuming is really questionable, it doesn't look right for the dance at all and is hugley distracting. For this type of routine I probably would have gone with a Punjabi suit. I mean there are many different types of costumes for different types of Indian dance but I wouldn't choose this type for a Bollywood routine. It was also distracting because I couldn't see the foot movements. I wouldn't say the movements are purely non bollywood because we use them, but I would say that its kind of a very American interterpation of it, kind of like the Hemalyaa videos are. Also the music had more of a Punjabi Bhrangra beat which is popular in Bollywood now, but Bollywood is diffrent from Bhangra.

Thank you for the compliment! :D I wasn't in this performance, but I did perform with my troupe this year, and wore an Indian skirt, a genuine Indian wedding jewelry set, a choli, and hand bindis, so I did try with my costuming to be true to the performance. Thinking back, the difference between my costuming and my dance sisters might have been a bit jarring, though... :confused: I do have a handmade shalwar/khameez set that I made myself, but I don't think I would have been allowed to wear it, I don't know.

I have three of Hemalayya's DVD's, and I about DIE every time I try to do them! @___@;;

The music is "Lakh Lakh" from the Bollywood movie, Kambakkht Ishq. An Indian friend of mine who is a missionary in his own country told me that it means, "Ten thousand, ten thousand." In the case of the video, I have NO idea twenty-thousand of WHAT he means... Oo;;;


Mere Hathon Mein - Song - Chandni - YouTube
This is Sridevi doing a mostly bollywood although she is from Tamil Nadu (my state :p) and trained in Bharatnayam and incorporates it a lot. But if you watch her she does a lot more eye and hand movements which is really big in classical bollywood. I've noticed in a lot of Bollywoo dances taught here they don't emphazize on eye movement or hand.arm movement.

During one part of our routine, we do a short head slide and we're supposed to move our eyes in the direction we slide our heads, but the eye movements can't be seen in the video, unfortunately. :(


Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just in my area and due to a lack of teachers? Is there a fashion thing involved, once it entered the bellydance radar? Or an idea (at least here in the UK) that Bollywood is more women dancing, and so more sellable to the stereotypical Bellydance student, whilst Bhangra has more male involvement, and so is less suitable? Or has Bhangra just been lumped together with Bollywood?

I'm not sure, Duvet. As for my stance, for instance in bellydance, I'm of the firm belief that bellydance is for everyone, including men. Bellydance is a cultural dance; men, women, and children in the Middle East bellydance (or at least in Egypt). In our country, it seems, bellydance seems to be geared/advertised at the female demographic. "This is a dance for women, by women, performed by ancient priestesses," blah, blah. In my area, you don't see male bellydancers, or male students, which IMO is a shame. I'm not involved in the Bhangra scene here (although I'd like to be), but it does seem easier for women to do Bhangra as well as men (why is that? :think: ). The following video was posted on my Facebook wall last year (thank you, Dev!), and it shows men and women together on stage performing Bhangra:



This contest took place in the Bay area of California. The music is pop-oriented, and there are elements of hip hop in the performance. Authentic Bhangra? Well, maybe not so much, but still enjoyable.

As for Bollywood being aimed at females (particularly bellydancer females), I guess the ads are geared towards women for the same reasons that bellydance is. Why studios or teachers do that, I couldn't tell you. Maybe most bellydance/Bollywood teachers are female, and feel uncomfortable teaching men. Maybe they have other reasons. It does seem unfair to me that it's easier for a female to take Bhangra lessons than it is for a man to take bellydance or Bollywood lessons. Let's hope that we individually, and as a collective, do what we can to educate and change attitudes where this is concerned.

Hokay, I'd better shut my big fat keyboard before I end up writing the Bollywood version of "War and Peace." @_______@
 
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Meera

New member
Hi Farasha, see that's the problem right there, the song Lakh Lakh, has Punjabi music to it with Punjabi/Hindi words mixed in. Its become popular now to include Punjabi songs in mainstream Bollywood, it's almost like a fad right now. You could still do a Bollywood style dance to it, but I just wouldnt have chose those moves. Also the audio isn't very clear in the video. From what i know, Lakh Lakh means million, lakh on it's own is ten thousand (but Hindi isnt my mother tounge but I can speak/understand a little) but he says lakh lakh nakre rehne de it means like give me a million tantrums, it sounds weird in english but I don't know how to make it sound better :lol: Also Bhangra tradtionaly was only done by men, and Giddha was done by Women but now both can do Bhangra.

The problem I think with teachers teaching Bollywood dance is that they learn to fast and just put things that are sterotypically Indian. I don't think many teachers understand how much variety there is in each region and teh amount of difference each one has. I guess it might be like in Bellydance like putting an Egyptian cheorgraphed routine to Turkish or Khaeleji music (this might be a bad example but I cant really think of anything else :p). I jut don't think teachers take the time to learn the differences. By the way, Farasha, I'm not directing this at your teacher, I'm just saying in genereal :)
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
Hi Farasha, see that's the problem right there, the song Lakh Lakh, has Punjabi music to it with Punjabi/Hindi words mixed in. Its become popular now to include Punjabi songs in mainstream Bollywood, it's almost like a fad right now. You could still do a Bollywood style dance to it, but I just wouldnt have chose those moves. Also the audio isn't very clear in the video. From what i know, Lakh Lakh means million, lakh on it's own is ten thousand (but Hindi isnt my mother tounge but I can speak/understand a little) but he says lakh lakh nakre rehne de it means like give me a million tantrums, it sounds weird in english but I don't know how to make it sound better :lol: Also Bhangra tradtionaly was only done by men, and Giddha was done by Women but now both can do Bhangra.

The problem I think with teachers teaching Bollywood dance is that they learn to fast and just put things that are sterotypically Indian. I don't think many teachers understand how much variety there is in each region and teh amount of difference each one has. I guess it might be like in Bellydance like putting an Egyptian cheorgraphed routine to Turkish or Khaeleji music (this might be a bad example but I cant really think of anything else :p). I jut don't think teachers take the time to learn the differences. By the way, Farasha, I'm not directing this at your teacher, I'm just saying in genereal :)

Exactly. It takes time and much studying to learn what music is suited to what style of bellydance. Although the workshop was fun, I'm supposing the workshop teacher (who isn't my bellydance teacher) has a long way to go in her own education of Bollywood dance, and of Indian dance and culture in general. I say this now after your explaining to me that the moves in our routine don't fit Punjabi-style music. Suffice to say that in studying any cultural dance, be it Bollywood, the different styles of classical Indian dance, bellydance, or Midwestern cowboy line dancing, it's important to learn and understand the history, culture, and regions that affect their particular dance.

I wish there were teachers in my area who are more knowledgeable in Bollywood and classical Indian dances, but unfortunately, there aren't any. :(

Side question: what male in his right mind wants a girl to give him a million tantrums??? @_______@;;;
 
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Meera

New member
Exactly. It takes time and much studying to learn what music is suited to what style of bellydance. Although the workshop was fun, I'm supposing the workshop teacher (who isn't my bellydance teacher) has a long way to go in her own education of Bollywood dance, and of Indian dance and culture in general. I say this now after your explaining to me that the moves in our routine don't fit Punjabi-style music. Suffice to say that in studying any cultural dance, be it Bollywood, the different styles of classical Indian dance, bellydance, or Midwestern cowboy line dancing, it's important to learn and understand the history, culture, and regions that affect their particular dance.

I wish there were teachers in my area who are more knowledgeable in Bollywood and classical Indian dances, but unfortunately, there aren't any. :(

Side question: what male in his right mind wants a girl to give him a million tantrums??? @_______@;;;

Yeah, This doesn't just happen with non-indian teachers, for example a Punjabi teacher would be clueless on how to do a South Indian dance unless he/she studied it. In hindi nakre means tantrum but it could also be like attitude/sass I think :p But my mother tounge is Tamil so I could be wrong. :p
 

Munniko

New member
The music is "Lakh Lakh" from the Bollywood movie, Kambakkht Ishq. An Indian friend of mine who is a missionary in his own country told me that it means, "Ten thousand, ten thousand." In the case of the video, I have NO idea twenty-thousand of WHAT he means... Oo;;;

This is gonna be really random, but from what I remember of the translation of this song was...it was a really insulting piece to the woman he was singing too :lol: he keeps going on about how the woman thinks she is all that, but really isn't and only deserves a rascal like him.


On the other side I agree only qualified people should teach Bollywood dance :lol: I mean when I learned it I originally started learning it from my Indian boss and then I had to choreograph a song for a dance festival and I kept referring to her for advice on hand gestures, so I wasn't accidentally insulting people with them. I mean there are really slow songs, but no one likes dancing to them unless they are trained to bharatanatyam or odessi.

Farasha - if you want a decent Bollywood instructional DVD the one that World Dance New York did was pretty good for beginners, but it is mainly the kinda bhangra/festival dance style opposed to what is coming out more recently.
 
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