Join Our Fun, Family-Friendly Bollywood Dance Classes!
WEEKLY SESSIONS
Mondays
@ 10AM
Wednesdays
@ 7PM
10 Free Classes / 5 Weeks Programs
Proudly supported by Kala Yoga Academy / ABCD Bollywood Dance School
Our dance fitness class is open to people of all ages, whether you are a teenager or a senior citizen. Beginners and intermediate dancers are also welcome to join.
Dance has been shown to have a positive impact on the mental health of individuals, regardless of their age – and being a multicultural community, what better way to culturally engage than to learn new dance steps? It brings together people with different tastes and personalities, all uniting through music. Dancing will allow us to unite our body, mind, and spirit, improving connection and strengthening self-esteem.
Engaging in cultural dance has been shown to have positive effects on a person’s physical and mental health. It also benefits an individual’s emotional well-being by helping them connect with their community members.
Dancing enhances your mobility, improves your posture and flexibility, increases your aerobic capabilities, and builds your strength. The movements associated with dancing also help you reduce pain and stiffness in your muscles and joints.
We inspire you to learn new skills, practice self-help during isolation, and gain the confidence to try out other online programs.
Benefits in Emotional and Mental Well-being
Building a resilient community can have many challenges, especially in this pandemic. We aim to respond to this crisis in ways that strengthen community bonds through resources, community networking, and participation in community programs. We also create a safe zone for each individual, wherein they can help themselves and look after their health and well-being.
We believe that you can bounce back from many issues, given the opportunity for meaningful participation, positive bonds, and fun, free engagement programs to dance the stress away.
These dance classes give us a platform to create closer social relationships that narrow the distance, provide an interactive way to connect through dance, help individuals stay safe, inspire learners to help themselves stay happy and active, and provide resources to connect to services they may need. Individuals learn to keep socially connected by attending dance classes, which creates a sense of belonging and having goals by challenging themselves to learn a new dance. The classes also promote fitness through indoor activities.
Work at your own fitness level to listen to and understand the different languages of dance moves. Learn the new way of connecting during this pandemic period.
It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and onto the dance floor, with free online Bollywood dance courses available thanks to an organisation based in Sunbury.
The Multicultural Resources Hub (MRH) will offer 10 classes over a five week period from late April to the end of May, with qualified teachers catering to beginner and experienced dancers.
Bollywood refers to a type of popular film and dance originating in the Indian mega city of Mumbai, with the dance moves comprising a combination of elements from western pop and Indian culture.
Shammi Parekh, community development advisor at MRH, says the organisation is focused on making Sunbury a place that accepts diversity and inclusion.
“Cultural dance has shown to have positive impacts as it provides benefits to participant’s physical and mental health and provides a mechanism to foster community connectedness.
“Our vision is to connect, support and integrate new migrants and emerging communities by advocating multiculturalism and creating a sense of belonging within the area they live in,” she said.
According to the 2016 Census, just 15 per cent of people living in Sunbury were born overseas, compared with 33 per cent in Greater Melbourne.
With support from the Victorian government, Ms Parekh said the idea to make the classes free and online, was to foster an accessible space for people to connect after the pandemic.
“Most people have experienced social isolation and loneliness, which can have serious health consequences,” Ms Parekh said.
“One way to battle this is by connecting with your community through dance classes.
“Aside from teaching you how to dance, we will provide you with digital tools that can help address social isolation.”
The classes are open to all ages.
Instructors
Jayshri Nath
A seasoned dance instructor/teacher, Jayshri Nath’s strength lies in her dedicated practice and many-layered knowledge of Dance. With over 6 years of experience, Jayshri has had a keen interest and love for Dance and Yoga since childhood. She has performed for many events and has choreographed many dance numbers for schools, colleges and various other functions.
She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer as well as a Certified Trainer of Hatha yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, and Meditation Techniques
Shweta Pandya, a Dance instructor/choreographer, has more than 20 years of hands-on experience in working with a diverse group of people of all ages. Shweta, who runs her ABCD Bollywood Dance School believes that ‘Any Body Can Dance’, making dance workout fun for all ages and bringing vibrant & energetic classes for all levels.
Shweta believes dancing is not just a great way to keep fit. It gives us the opportunity to relax and lose ourselves to the beats. It is also a fantastic way to express ourselves without forgetting to make new friendships and have fun along the way.
We would love your feedback. Let us know how this program has helped you or how you have enjoyed this online class.
