RUSSELL —
Still out of breath after half an hour of Masala Bhangra, Daulton DuVall offered the following assessment: “It’s like no other dance I’ve ever seen.”
The Russell Middle School seventh-grader, along with just about every other student in the school and a few of their teachers, had just gotten a taste Thursday of a fitness routine patterned after an Indian folk dance, in a session led by its inventor, Sarina Jain.
To the driving beat of the dhol, a traditional Indian drum, and tunes plinked out on the single-stringed tumbi, the students shook their arms and kicked their feet in a dance-like exercise that Jain has popularized on TV and in the fitness world.
Leaping atop a set of folded-up bleachers, cordless microphone at her lips, Jain shouted instructions to the dance: “Arms up! Shoulders down!” Several hundred arms flew into the air, hands fluttering wildly. As many legs kicked out vigorously to the rhythm of the dhol.
Sometimes the right hand flew out when the left leg was supposed to kick, but always the corners of the mouth turned up in grins of delight.
“I loved it. It’s different from what we usually do,” said seventh-grader Loren Gross. Loren and her friend, Heather Seaton, rushed up to Jain after the session to let her know they thought Masala Bhangra was the best exercise ever.
Jain, who is in the Tri-State to present her workout in Huntington tonight, traces her development of the concept to her grief following the death of her father from a heart condition in his 40s.
She has taught fitness for 20 years and wanted to create routines that combined proven fitness value with elements of her Indian culture.
She has developed Masala Bhangra — “masala” translates to “spicy” — into a mini industry with DVDs and clothing accessories, including one just for children. “Kids are getting sedate. They aren’t moving the way we used to move,” she said.
She says her routines combine fitness with “the exhilaration of Bollywood.” In fact, at times the gym looked like a scene from one of India’s film spectaculars, with its cast of hundreds swirling in a lavish dance number.
Jain brought a further touch of Indian culture: bindis — third-eye jewels that adhere to the forehead — for the girls, and smigs — a dot of powder on the forehead — for the boys.
The cultural exposure is as important as the fitness component, said Abby Francis, a reading teacher at Russell. “In our corner of eastern Kentucky, sometimes kids aren't exposed to other cultures,” Francis said.
Those who want to learn more about Jain’s routines may want to check out her Huntington appearance. She will be at the Veterans Memorial Field House from 7 to 9 p.m. The cost is $25 in advance or $30 at the door. St. Mary's Hospital set up Jain's visit to the area to promote healthy lifestyle.
Local News
Related Photos
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Sarina Jain leads the Russell Middle School Thursday though her Masala Bhangra Workout. Photo by John Flavell
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Sarina Jain leads the Russell Middle School Thursday though her Masala Bhangra Workout. Photo by John Flavell
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Sarina Jain talks to Russell Middle School students Thursday before taking them through her Masala Bhangra Workout. Photo by John Flavell
Discussion
Students exercise Bollywood style
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