Welcome to Smoothie Chats, our new series where we pull up a chair at the smoothie bar and talk with the people behind gym classes you may never have heard of before.
These conversations open the door to different ways of moving that could be the perfect fit for you. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge to get started!
First up is Bandita, the force behind DanceRevival. Her mix of Bollywood music, storytelling and semiclassical dance brings together cardio, confidence and joy. She calls it The Happiness Mantra and once you hear her story, you will understand why.
Q: What first inspired you to create DanceRevival and shape it around the “Happiness Mantra”?
It started with a cultural event where I suggested doing a ladies’ dance. I called my friends and they were all eager to join. During rehearsals, I noticed the environment gradually becoming more relaxed and happy.
At the end, they always left feeling rejuvenated and uplifted. That gave me the reason to start proper classes for rejuvenation through dance.
There was a glow in them when they learnt the choreography and danced to the beat. They reached a different level of contentment.
During breaks, everyone began sharing fun stories and happy moments.
At the end, they always left feeling rejuvenated and uplifted. That gave me the reason to start proper classes for rejuvenation through dance.
Being an Indian classical dancer, I decided to blend Indian semiclassical dance with Bollywood music. It proved to be a good mix of workout, cardio and mood enhancement.
Also Read: Burn Baby Burn: The Top 5 Gym Classes for Weight Loss – Cver Online
Q: Your classes mix Bollywood music, storytelling and dance. How do these elements work together to nurture both body and mind?
Bollywood music is loved worldwide. Whoever listens to the beat of it starts dancing inside their mind.
DanceRevival encourages people to bring that inner dancer into movement, feel the joy and embrace their happiness – free from the fear of being judged.
This happiness is then knitted with a sense of achievement by incorporating storytelling through choreography. That satisfaction releases “happiness hormones” like serotonin and dopamine, along with the physical benefits of moving the body.
Many people join fitness classes with weight loss in mind. How can dance – and DanceRevival specifically – support those goals in a healthy way?
The classes are structured with warm-ups, cardio and workout sequences through Indian semiclassical postures and movement. This combination burns calories effectively and supports healthy weight loss.
Beyond fitness, what health benefits do your participants often notice – things like energy levels, flexibility, stress relief or even confidence?
Participants are observed to gradually improve flexibility, increase energy levels, experience better stress relief, feel more confident and leave rejuvenated and refreshed.
What’s the atmosphere like in a typical class? Can you describe the feeling in the room once the music starts?
At the start, the class is relaxed and slow with soothing Bollywood songs. Simple hand and foot movements are practised.
Gradually the pace increases with warm-ups and cardio to fast-beat songs.
Finally, a piece of music is choreographed and the story completed. This gives participants a sense of accomplishment and contentment.
The overall feeling in the room is a celebration of life.
Some people are nervous about joining a dance-based workout. What would you say to someone who thinks they “can’t dance”?
The underlying objective of DanceRevival is happiness.
Each of us has a dancer inside. DanceRevival is the medium to let that dancer come out. It’s absolutely not necessary to be good at dancing. You just need to move with the beat in a pattern – that’s it!
Bollywood music is central to your sessions. Is there one track that never fails to lift the energy for you?
Yes! It’s Mere Dholna Sunn Mere Pyar Ki Dhun from the film Bhool Bhulaiyaa.
National Fitness Day is about trying new ways to move. Why do you think dance is such a powerful entry point for people who want to get active?
Sometimes we feel lazy doing the same workout routine. Dance breaks that monotony and gives us the push to be active.
Even if we’re unwell, just playing the right song can work wonders and make us want to sway a little.
Even if we’re unwell, just playing the right song can work wonders and make us want to sway a little.
Dance is a great reason to be active and keep moving consistently!
Can you share a memorable moment or story of a participant whose journey really stuck with you?
There are many, but one stands out. She’s in midlife, a working woman and a single mother.
Overwhelmed with responsibilities and workload, she still never misses a class. She says it’s her getaway – a space free from worldly issues.
She even told me that while working from home, she takes five-minute breaks every hour to dance to the tunes I’ve taught her.
For her, dance is a soothing healer. Knowing that makes me proud and happy to be a source of healing.
If you could sum up DanceRevival in three words that capture its spirit, what would they be?
The Happiness Mantra.
Want to join in?
You can connect with Bandita and experience DanceRevival for yourself via DM on Instagram, Facebook or check out her videos on YouTube.
And this is just the beginning – Smoothie Chats will return next month with another inspiring instructor bringing something new to the UK fitness scene. Stay tuned.
