Bollywood
Bombay + Hollywood… our Bollywood routines blend the tradition of India and the glitz of Hollywood to create high energy, show stopping dances! Our company can provide a full Bollywood program that includes a fusion of classical Indian dance styles like Odissi, Kathak, and Bharatanatyam with contemporary music and movements.
(Read more about these dance styles at the bottom of this page)
Colorful costumes, synchronized performances and expressive story telling all characterize this popular dance genre. We have several pieces in our repertoire and can create a spectacular Indian themed show for your wedding reception, birthday party, anniversary celebration or graduation. Our choreographers have worked with So You Think You Can Dance, Superstars of Dance, Bellydance Superstars, AATMA Performing Arts Dance Company.
Bollywood is its own unique style separate from classical Indian dance: a beautiful blend of East and West. The ancient art form of Indian dance tells stories of mythology, deities, and cultural traditions. In Hindu mythology, dance is believed to have been created by an old Deity, Brahma, who combined words, gestures, music, and emotion to create a unique combination of dance, performance, and drama. Dance was originally used for worship: only performed in temples, festivals, and seasonal harvests to give thanks and praise. Eventually, dance expanded to performance for royalty and wealthy families and grew to become a highly appreciated art form.
With the revolution of the film industry, two of the major film production locations “Bombay” and “Hollywood” gave way to a unique film and performance style. Heavily impacted by Western culture and the old Hollywood musicals from the 1940s, Bollywood is the blending of cultures and performance. These films started with the use of classical and folkloric dances, (such as Bhangra and Garba) as a way to progress the story, add entertainment and liven the mood. Bollywood uses hand movements (mudras), neck and head gestures, facial expressions, intricate footwork, and bright, elaborate costumes, paying homage to traditional elements of Indian culture and dance. The style continues to evolve and draws form popular music and dance styles from around the world. Arabic belly dancing, Latin social dances, and Hip-Hop elements can all be found in today’s Bollywood routines.
Odissi is a dance drama genre of performance art which involves beautiful shapes and poses of the dancer’s body. It evolved from the Hindu temples of the Odisha region of India as a way for the temple dancers to use their movement as a way to honor their gods.
Kathak, which comes from the word "Katha” which means “story”. In this style, the dancer is a storyteller and uses hand gestures and facial expressions to communicate the narration. This dance evolved from Northern India as the dancers traveled and shared their stories through their art.
Bharatanatyam is the oldest style of classical Indian dance. The name is derived from combining the sanskrit words “bhava” meaning “emotion”, “raga” meaning “melody”, “tala” meaning “rhythm" and "natyam " meaning "dance ". It comes from the southern region of India and has three main characteristics: rhythmical footwork and detailed movement vocabulary that is not necessarily tied to the storytelling, expressiveness in the dancer’s emotions/body posture to convey specific moods, and dramatic storytelling.