Despite living in two separate cities, the Urban Mantra sisters do a lot of things in common. Among the activities we both enjoy is dance…particularly Bollywood dance. Once a week or more, we walk into a dance studio in our respective cities and let our inner Madhuri loose (for those of you who don’t know Madhuri, she is a famous Bollywood actress and perhaps the most iconic Bollywood dancer). As the music plays, we enter a world where hip-rolling, shoulder shimmying, body twists and turns, and foot-thumping is not only allowed but encouraged. What is this class, you ask? It is dhoonyaFIT.

What it is: dhoonyaFIT is a dance fitness class filled with 60 minutes of nonstop cardio, aerobic, and strength training performed to upbeat, fast-paced Bollywood music. The class is offered by dhoonyaDANCE, a Bollywood dance company that holds classes in DC, Virginia, Maryland, and NYC. With classes offered most days of the week, students have ample opportunities to get a full-body workout and leave feeling sweaty but smiling!

What I Love: What we enjoy about the dhoonyaFIT workout is that it is fun, energetic, and a great way to get some exercise after work. Seriously, it’s almost like a trip to the dance clubs except you don’t have to wait until Saturday night to go! :) When some of our favorite songs come on, we almost have to hold back from breaking out into crazy moves!

The other aspect we appreciate about dhoonyaFIT is that you don’t have to be a dance expert to join the class. It is appealing and applicable to beginners as well as experts because of its focus on working out, rather than on traditional dance techniques, which some people may struggle with (for those who are interested, dhoonyaDANCE offers techniques classes too).

The other new and exciting development in the world of dhoonyaDANCE is that there are now dhoonyaFIT instructor training classes being offered. This way, one can become a certified dhoonyaFIT instructor and teach it anywhere – even abroad!

What I Don’t Love: Honestly, there isn't much to dislike about dhoonyaFIT given how fun and effective a workout it is. The only complaint we had until recently was that there weren’t enough dhoonyaFIT classes being offered. But after taking a survey of its members earlier this year, Dhoonya decided to open its doors to more FIT classes and at more locations around the city.

So next time y’all are in the mood to bust out some moves to your favorite bhangra song or can’t bear to work out at your gym, consider taking a dhoonyaFIT class for a different workout experience. You will come out Bolly-fied!