Dhoonya Dancers at Rang Barse 2011

Yup, you read it right. We said “On A Boat!” This year, for the second time, our Techniques students will be dancing in IN Group’s Rang Barse  event.

We had a blast performing last year and had possibly even more fun playing Holi after we got off stage. 

This year we are planning to rock the river with our rendition of “Ooh La La” from The Dirty Picture. 

We had our first class last week. We’ll be reviewing and continuing choreography to the song on Tuesday night and invite anyone who feels that they are tech ready to drop in!

We’ll be flick-stepping and hip shaking from 7pm – 9pm at 219 W 19th street! Make sure you register online here: http://bit.ly/dhoonya

Even if you’re not channeling Vidya Balan with us, you should still join us for an epic Bollywood adventure on the seas!

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of New York’s exclusive holi event- Rang Barse, IN Group is lifting its anchor and setting sail..

Be a part of our celebrations as we move from the Peking to the Princess for a cruise around New York.

… Come paint the town, red, yellow, green and pink and enjoy the Indian Festival of colors in style with food, drinks, dj and our special bollywood style dance performance by Dhoonya Dance’s Tech class.

Limited tickets available at $65. Tickets shall increase to $80 leading up to the event, so don’t get left out. Get your tickets www.ingroupevents.com
All aboard!

Bolly-fit Your Bod in Time for Summer

You already know that DhoonyaFIT is a blast. You get to dance your cares away for one hour up to four times per week. While all of the fun is fabulous, even more beneficial is the positive impact DhoonyaFIT has on your health.

The Dhoonya Family is full of FIT success stories. From shedding weight, to improving technique, form and strength, to looking your best for a special event, DhoonyaFIT has changed made some of life’s most challenging goals fun!

We want to help YOU to take your fitness to the next level with DhoonyaFIT’s Bollywood Transformation.

We are looking for six individuals who are passionate about getting in the best shape of their lives. There’s no requirement for where you start, but we want to show how DhoonyaFIT helps you attain your goals.

What you’ll need to do:

• Commit to 3 classes/week for 4 months as often as possible
• Work with Dhoonya on a lifestyle fitness regime (this includes commitment to a healthy diet as well as cross-training)
• Document and share your progress through Dhoonya’s blog, photos and stories and video

What’s in it for you?:

• Four months of Free DhoonyaFIT classes
• A Community of Dhoonya instructors and fellow Fitters cheering you along the journey
• Become a DhoonyaFIT Spokesperson
• A Bollywood gift prize (including a facial, sari and more)

–and most importantly–

• Getting in the best shape of your life and feeling fabulously FIT!

How do you get involved?: 

Send an email to info[at]dhoonyadance[dot]com with the following info:

• Your fitness background
• Your health goals
• Why you would be a great candidate
• A photo

Our new weekly 2-hour session will culminate in not one – but TWO– performances. Our combined Techniques classes will perform on

Friday March 16th at one of New York’s iconic Bollywood parties
Saturday March 17, Rang Barse Holi Event at South Street Seaport, 1pm

Does it get better?

Oh YES! Men and women are welcome to join the class to learn Rohan’s “Ooh La La” from The Dirty Picture!

Drop-in for our first class with your V-Day love and stay on for the five week session.

CLICK HERE to Register
Package Options:

• $150 Unlimited Monthly gets you access to all the classes as well as other Dhoonya classes (DhoonyaFIT)
• $150 for 10 class package ($30 per two hour session)

All packages can be used towards the 2 hours per class amount due

Drop-ins only allowed the first day of class February 14th

Feel free to contact info@dhoonyadance.com with any questions.

Dhoonya Dance is looking for friendly, responsible, punctual, detail-oriented, organized individuals to act as studio assistants for our classes?

What do you have to do? The main task of the studio assistant is to check people in as they arrive for classes. You are in charge of printing out an attendance roster, signing up drop-in students and collecting any cash. It helps if you are a quick learner at new software. If you have experience with Mindbody, you’ll rock this position…and soon after starting, the dance floor too.

We are looking for you start filling in the following shifts immediately:

• Tuesdays 6:45pm -9pm
• Wednesdays 5:45-8pm
• Thursdays 7:45 -9pm
• Saturday 11:45am -1pm

What’s the compensation like? Studio Assistants will have free-access to Dhoonya Dance classes in New York and DC! That’s free Bollywood Basics, Techniques and DhoonyaFIT Classes. You will be able to participate in the classes you cover.  Also, learn the administrative ins-and-outs of a dance school to add to your resume.

About Dhoonya Dance:

Dhoonya Dance is home of the best Bollywood talent, teachers and training providing simple, artistic instruction. The Dhoonya Method of Bollywood dance emphasizes strong fundamentals and choreography rooted in traditional, folk and classical Indian dance.

It is our talented team that drives the creative engine of Dhoonya Dance.  We are fueled by passion and positivity and we share our interpretations of Bollywood dance with common goals of fun, fitness and fundamentals.

Dhoonya Dance is known in the mainstream media from our coverage by:

• The Oprah Winfrey Show
• The Dr. Oz Show
• The Early Show
• Time Out New York
• The New York Times
• The Washington Post
• Travel & Adventure Show

For more information, please email over your resume to: info@dhoonyadance.com

Indeed, her theatrics, over-the-top performances, scintillating dance numbers and extravagant costumes kind of make Lady Gaga and Bollywood–BollyGAGA, if you will–go together like Shah Rukh Khan and an eyebrow furrow.

Proof? Most of you have probably heard the Salim-Sulaiman Bollywood remix of her “Born This Way” (And if you haven’t, get thee on down to one of our DhoonyaFIT classes! STAT!).

But we’re not writing to tell you about old news. We’re here to share an amazing video of one of our advanced students! Colleen Jolly, who has been one our longest and most dedicated students, really took BollyGAGA to the next level.

At their wedding reception, Colleen and her husband Lakin surprised their guests with an unconventional first dance. Recruiting her fellow students, Lisa, Tejal, Angela, and Jeannie, she choreographed a Bolly-fied take on Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” (Note the Bhangra kicks and the twist taps!).

Colleen, color us impressed! You killed it as the BollyGAGA bride. Amazing job and we are so proud of you!!

P.S. Your husband has got some impressive moves of his own!

This morning we found a flashmob that was created to celebrate India’s Republic Day. For those of you not in the know (we were fuzzy on the details until wikipedia stepped in too), Republic Day in India commemorates the new constitution being put in place.

Usually you expect a flashmob to be in some public, open area. Well, Finnair took it to a whole new level and surprised passengers on their flight from Helsinki, Finland to New Delhi with a rendition of “Deewangi” from Om Shanti Om.  Talk about open air…

We have to give a shout out to the hostesses for bringing the BollyFab to what could have been a very dull flight! Check out their energy, expression and steps from the film!

Mad props, ladies. Next time, give us a call. We are always up for a dance-cation!

As reported by the BBC, the children had the same level of physical activity during school hours. But after school and on weekends, these kids were more likely to be “studying, playing computer games or watching TV than playing outdoors or doing sports.”

The article pointed to cultural factors. What do you think? If that’s true, or if you agree, would those same factors translate to the States as well?

At Dhoonya Dance, teaching children is an integral and enriching aspect of what we do. We think it’s a great way to marry cultural awareness with physical activity–all while having so much fun that kids and adults alike can escape any tedious aspects of exercise.

Check out this video of Priya, co-founder and managing director of our New York programs, teach kids at P.S. 90 George Meany School in the Bronx:

The expressions of sheer delight on the kids faces, and the appeal of Bollywood to a diverse student body, is one of the best things about our job.

Taking a chapter from the First Lady’s book, Let’s move! (Dhoonya style!)

Here and the lodown

THIS Saturday July 30th
Start Time: 6:30pm sharp (Arrive at 6pm)
Location: Bowling Green Park
Broadway and Whitehall St, New York, NY 10079

Visit our official flashmob page for all details, including links to tutorial videos.

See you this Saturday!

The DhoonyaFIT Summer Challenge is a summer-long contest in which participants chronicle their Bollywood-inspired fitness journey…

While of course our DhoonyaFIT classes offer a fun, cardio-intense way to stay in shape, our Summer Challenge is not just about body image or losing weight. It’s about the entire mind/body health connection, from healthy(uhh..or healthier) eating habits, mediation and being more well-rested.

Oh…and did we mention the prizes? Our generous friends at  Exclusively.in are giving away a $500 gift card!!! They are the best in providing gorgeous, glamorous, upscale South Asian and fusion clothing, accessories, and decor and discounted prices. Their designers have dressed some of the hottest  Bollywood stars, and with any luck, they can dress you too!

Other Partners include:

 ‎Shobha 

‎BridalGal Multicultural Beauty 

Dahlia & Damon 

We are getting some really great entries! Check out some of the blogs at:
http://stuffbunnylikes.tumblr.com/
http://howyoudhoonya.blogspot.com/
“Like” our page on Facebook to keep up with the challenge!