What is bollywood

Bollywood is the Hollywood of India

HOLLYWOOD + BOMBAY = BOLLYWOOD

“Bollywood” is the informal term or nickname, popularly used to describe the film industry based in Mumbai, India. The term Bollywood was coined in combination of the names “Hollywood”, the capital of cinema in the United States, and “Bombay”, the older name for the city of Mumbai. Bollywood is by far the largest film market in the world in terms of both films released and box office tickets sold. More than four billion tickets are sold each year to Bollywood productions. Fourteen million viewers throng the theaters each day to lap up its movies. According to published reports, more people globally watched Bollywood movies than Hollywood movies – 3.8 billion vs. 3.6 billion

Perhaps the most iconic aspect of Bollywood films, besides the majority being three-hour-long musicals, is its use of Bollywood dance scenes. Each film relies heavily on the use of choreographed dance scenes referred to as “item numbers”, performed by the main actor and/or actors. In turn, the main actors receive fame for not only acting but also for their dancing.

Bollywood depicts musical tales of love, forbidden romance, revenge sagas, comedic extravaganzas, tragedies or the reaffirmation of familial love. It has over time, evolved to a world of glamour with a huge celebrity crazed fan base, while also successfully becoming one of today’s largest film producers in the world. Bollywood is renowned for its bright colored costumes, and lavishly designed sets, comparable to Hollywood of the 1950’s. And as part of the added fun in Bollywood entertainment, there are not just one but several costume and set changes during just one dance number! Furthermore, Bollywood dancing in the movies isn’t always in line with the story but purely added for diverse entertainment.

As Bollywood has progressed, the dancing has become a melting pot of genres. Bollywood dancing is derived from Classical forms of Indian dance such as Bharat Natyam, Kathak, and Odissi hence the use of facial expressions and emoting the lyrics of the song. Today it also incorporates a mixture of Western and other Eastern influences. These influences include Hip-hop, African/ Tribal, Salsa, Bellydance, Ballet, Modern/ Contemporary, and Jazz. Thus, as this exhilarating and beautiful world of Bollywood dance is gaining interest across the globe – you’ll too find that Bollywood dance is fun and energetic, as well as an excellent aerobic exercise. People of all ages, shapes, sizes, and fitness levels are welcome— join us and get prepared to have fun, shake your shoulders and swing your hips to this contagious fusion style of dance.