“We’re the new Zumba” – Indian dance fitness craze takes over West Midlands schools

A DANCE fitness instructor from Birmingham has revealed how her classes are taking over schools across the West Midlands as thousands of children turn to a new Indian dance craze promising to be the next Zumba.

Bally Bhogal, 46, runs BBX Fitness along with her husband Michael – a dance fitness start-up providing on-demand online and in-person bhangra fitness classes – and as the years have gone on, they’ve seen a huge surge in popularity for the traditional Asian dance amongst schoolchildren.

She said: “I didn’t expect it to be as popular as it’s become – 23 people turned up to my first bhangra class and now we have more than 150 people turning up to multiple classes per week.

“A few teachers asked me to come into their schools to lead a session and the kids absolutely loved it, I don’t think anyone expected them to be so engaged.

“It’s beautiful to see people from all different cultures connecting with something that’s been a part of my life since I was a little girl.”

Bhangra is a type of traditional folk dance originating from the Punjab – a region covering northern India and Pakistan.

The dance typically involves smooth bouncing motions with the legs and shoulder shrug movements that can provide a full body workout.

One hour-long BBX bhangra fitness class burns up to 600 calories and can help to reduce blood pressure, boost cardiovascular health, increase bone density, and reduce stress.

Simple, non-explosive movements also means that bhangra classes are perfect for beginners and fitness fanatics no matter their age.

“I live and breathe bhangra – I was born into it,” Bally added.

“The music, language, culture and heritage have been strong positive constants for me since birth. It’s our happy dance – I’ve danced bhangra when celebrating weddings, births, birthday parties – any excuse really - and I’ve always wanted to be able to share that passion with people.

“I think kids in particular connect with the classes because it’s more than just fitness – we create a fun, upbeat atmosphere with our music and passion for the dance that’s really infectious and provides a cultural experience.

“Some children don’t understand the lyrics but they’re really connecting with a new culture and getting a workout at the same time”.

After taking BBX across schools in Birmingham and the West Midlands, Bally has gone on to feature on Channel 5’s ‘You Are What You Eat’ with Good Morning Britain’s Dr Amir Khan, and performed with class members at the opening and closing ceremonies of the

Commonwealth Games last year.

She added: “I’ve never seen such a positive atmosphere where children are really connecting with exercise and with each other.

“We’ve taken on four extra instructors now to deliver these sessions across schools and we’re all investing in our learning and taking courses to deliver classes of as high a quality as possible.”

BBX Fitness run multiple in-person classes across Birmingham, as well as ondemand online classes on the website, and are available for bookings for schools across the West Midlands area.