Bollywood Dance

What is bollywood dance?

Bollywood dance is the expressive, high-energy style of Hindi film song sequences. It blends Indian classical (kathak and bharatanatyam), folk (bhangra, garba) and Western jazz and hip-hop, with storytelling hand gestures and facial expressions.

History

Song-and-dance numbers have been central to Hindi cinema since the 1950s; choreographers such as Saroj Khan and Farah Khan shaped the modern style, and Bollywood fitness classes spread worldwide.

Basic technique

1. Thumkas (hip accents) and hand gestures
2. Filmi expressions
3. Folk and classical steps in choreography

Music & tempo

Hindi film songs.

What to wear

Comfortable clothes; ghungroo (ankle bells) optional.

How to get started

Many South Asian cultural centers and studios run Bollywood classes for all ages.

We list 46 studios that teach bollywood dance, or browse all dance studios by state.

Recent research

• Effects of Dance Movement Therapy and Dance on Health-Related Psychological Outcomes. A Meta-Analysis Update. — Frontiers in psychology, 2019
• Definition, acronyms, nomenclature, and classification of angioedema (DANCE): AAAAI, ACAAI, ACARE, and APAAACI DANCE consensus. — The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 2024
• Rationale and design of a randomised phase III registration trial investigating finerenone in participants with type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: The FINE-ONE trial. — Diabetes research and clinical practice, 2023
• Effects of eight weeks of time-restricted feeding (16/8) on basal metabolism, maximal strength, body composition, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk factors in resistance-trained males. — Journal of translational medicine, 2016
• Effects of Resistance Training Performed to Failure or Not to Failure on Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Power Output: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. — Journal of strength and conditioning research, 2021

More bollywood dance research →

Books about bollywood dance

• Classical dances and costumes of India by Kay Ambrose (1950)
• Dance matters by Pallabi Chakravorty, Nilanjana Gupta (2010)
• Traversing Tradition by Urmimala Sarkar Munsi, Stephanie Burridge (2012)
• India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective by Margaret E. Walker (2014)
• Indian Classical Dance and the Making of Postcolonial National Identities by Sitara Thobani (2017)
• Performers and Their Arts in India by Charsley/Kadeka (2006)

Full reading list →

Frequently asked questions

Related styles

Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy