A Bollywood inspired exercise to music class has become the UK’s first Bollywood dance-fitness course to achieve accreditation from leading industry body, REPs (Register of Exercise Professionals).

The brainchild of Shalini Bhalla, a Bharata Natyam trained dancer and instructor - Just Jhoom! has been developed to create access to safe and fun Bollywood dancercise which respects Indian dance tradition and delivers results.

Shalini Bhalla, said, “We are delighted with this news! Since launching earlier this year, Just Jhoom! classes have been packing out studios, and achieving this accreditation – the first for Bollywood inspired dancercise - is welcome endorsement for the team.”

Bhalla, whose initial training in dance was through Indian culture and mentoring of Gurus in India and Kenya, has recently completed an MA in South Asian Dance at Roehampton University.

Having attended a wide variety of Bollywood classes up and down the country as part of her research, Bhalla identified that a structure for teaching Bollywood dance was needed to ensure that classes were safe whilst remaining fun.

Coupled with this was a growing interest in dance for fitness, which has received increasing Government support through initiatives such as Dance4Life and Dance Champions.

Bhalla added, “In recent years, Bollywood dance classes have leapt up the popularity stakes, in the way that Latin American dance was all the rage several years ago.

"The success of Zumba has demonstrated how a traditional dance form can be successfully adapted to create a fun way to keep fit, and my aim in developing Just Jhoom! was to bring about a similar framework for Bollywood dance.”

Bhalla worked with consultants in fitness, training and yoga to develop the programme, at the same time determined to ensure that Just Jhoom! would respect the traditions of Indian and Bollywood dance.

“Whilst training as an Exercise to Music (ETM) instructor, I was sent a DVD which included, amongst other examples, an ‘Indian’ inspired class.

"I felt that this was not in keeping with the integrity of Indian dance and was a token effort. There is more to Indian dance then the odd hand gesture and hip wiggle thrown in!” she said.

Supporting the choreography, Bhalla has developed a resource for instructors to provide more information about Bollywood dance, explaining its history and inspirations. Instructors are also given guidance on choosing and sourcing music.

It is this respect for Bollywood dance as an emerging, modern dance genre that contributed in no small part to the accreditation, with the SkillsActive Evaluator (on behalf of REPs) noting that “the integrity of Bollywood and Indian dance has been respected and honoured and at the same time connected to a safe and effective ETM structure”.

Just Jhoom! increases cardiovascular fitness with lively routines set to fast-paced Bollywood music, and also features yoga-inspired warm-up and cool down exercises.

Classes have been running since May and are already full.

Responding to the demand, this autumn Just Jhoom! will be running a series of Fitness Certification Courses at the flagship Surrey Sports Park in Guildford.

The first two-day training sessions in October are sold-out, with instructors coming from across the country (amongst these from London, Leicester, Birmingham and Somerset).

Further courses in November and December have just been announced and further details can be found at www.justjhoom.co.uk or telephone 01483 271059.