If you’ve been on an Indian dance team at any point in your life, you’ve probably been a part of one or two heated debates about what classifies as Bollywood dance. And that’s because the answer isn’t exactly black or white. The sometimes confusing (but always amazing) thing about Bollywood as a dance style is that it has no rules. There is no one way to choreograph and perform Bollywood dance, and the influence of other dance styles and cultures over the years on the evolving dance form serve as evidence of this. Different global and Indian icons — everyone from Elvis and Madonna to Helen, Shammi Kapoor and Govinda — have greatly influenced the changes and eras in Bollywood, bringing us to the modern dance style we most commonly see today.
Read MoreThe infectious energy of bhangra has made it a very popular dance style for social occasions and if you’re desi, you’re often expected to be able bust out into bhangra at a moment’s notice (during a wedding, a choreo session, or that moment when Beware of the Boyz comes on at the club). Chances are you could use a few bhangra steps in your back pocket for these occasions, but we’re not all bhangra experts.
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