Bust Your Best Moves Bollywood-Style With Hasina Sadiwala

God blessed me with many talents and virtues, dear reader, if I do say so myself. However, dance was decidedly not one of them, which may play a part in my admiration for dancers. I regard dance as an artistic discipline that allows you to attune your body to your innermost discourse, tap into culture and, of course, have fun. And here’s the thing – there is indeed an innate element to truly gifted dancers. But even for those of us who aren’t naturals, effort, persistence and enthusiasm can help bridge the gap. That, and a good teacher to show us the way. 

Do you see where this is going? Why, yes, I am guiding you to my interview today with Indian expat and dancer Hasina Sadiwala. Daytime finds her in a classroom, and at sunset, her alter ego takes over, even if she never quite stops teaching. After all, Sadiwala often shares her love of dancing with others at places like Punjabi Restaurant, where she is known to host unforgettable evenings that showcase the vibrant, heart-pumping music and culture of Bollywood. And that’s a good thing; after all, if you’re going to stuff yourself silly with Punjabi’s tempting menu, you better burn it off on the spot with some activity. 

But wait! Sit with me just long enough so that you get to know Sadiwala and the things that matter to her in this blog post. It is always my privilege and pleasure to hear from people like her and the paths that eventually brought them to Beijing. One thing I can promise you – you’ll be left wanting to bust your own moves by the end of this interview. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Hi, Hasina. What a delight for us at the Beijinger to talk to you. I truly can’t wait to delve into your story. Shall we go for an introduction?
Hi, it’s a pleasure to be here. Hmm, how should I start? I was born and raised in present-time Mumbai, and this is actually a fun chance for me to deliver the first tidbit on Bollywood! The word “Bollywood” is in fact a portmanteau of Hollywood and Bombay, which is the former name of my hometown. Mumbai is the cradle of the Hindi-language Indian film industry, and that’s how Bollywood was coined. 

Bollywood is part of my native culture – one that I became enamored with from an early age. The music, the dancing... It was all a rather organic process for me. I stayed in Mumbai until I was 12 or 13, which is when I migrated to the US with my family. 
It was hard at first. I had learned English in India and spoke it all the time, but I still went through this cultural shock in the United States. The average speed at which they’d talk, the cultural differences, my own insecurities and imposter syndrome… It all took some time.

Luckily, I found refuge at a studio that offered painting and dancing lessons. I joined the latter, and that’s how I met my guru (dance teacher), a man who had migrated from India himself and was now encouraging me to apply to an audition for a Bollywood show. I will say I wasn’t convinced at first. Maybe because I wasn’t used to auditions? But I did show up – and I got in! This teacher started gathering people, and the company gradually came to be. These were some grand shows! We had an audience of seven thousand people once, and things just got bigger with each passing year. 

That is incredible; what a bold move for a young teenage girl. What was your experience like, and what do you feel were the most valuable lessons from that period in your life? 
It’s worth noting here that my mother was actually parenting solo, and so this teacher sort of took me under his wing. This meant that I was exempt from tuition fees, and I could focus on growing within the company – from my initial role as a mere assistant to becoming a teacher myself. My identity as a dancer began to unfold in new, encouraging ways. In this company, everyone could join and contribute actively to what was going on, and I learned so much during my time there. I first became a lead dancer, then a dance director, and eventually I was supervising choreographies as a full-fledged teacher.  

The cast was made up of other Indians, for the most part. This did imply an element of shared understanding in our lives there, with their peculiarities and challenges, and of course there was also Bollywood as this common heritage among us all. But that’s not to say that there weren’t any challenges. Jealousy will spark sooner or later in such a context. Also, I was indeed very young, which meant that despite my growing role in the company, I could not always take authority for granted, nor respect. Once, during a summer camp, one of my pupils’ mother went to my guru and asked why her child was under this teenage girl's guidance. 

Fortunately, he vouched for me. That’s how people began to truly see my value: I was my teacher’s right hand because I had experience and skills that I brought to the table.  Even if I would still struggle with self-esteem along the way, his support was instrumental for these issues to eventually settle. I was yet to go through my own awakening of sorts, but this was an important first step. 

I have such major respect for your dedication and brilliance from such an early age. The time came to move on, though?
It did, through a series of events. Precisely because I was so young, I had attached my identity and my self-perceived value to the company, perhaps excessively. Then, in this turn of events, a certain incident happened that led to my leaving the company. For a while, I did feel as though I had been left with nothing. 

But that was a new turning point for me. I decided to turn dance into my major in college, and as I embarked on this journey to continue shaping my career, I worked my way up on my own. It was humbling at first, but in this move, I truly began working on my self-confidence. As a sophomore at the University of Houston, I got attention from my new teachers and their support helped me excel. Here I was, finding out more about who I was as a dancer and stepping out of the comfortingly familiar world of Bollywood. I was now learning both modern and contemporary ballet, which felt like a wonderful chance to grow and challenge myself.

That’s an interesting switch. Would you say your previous background informed your approach to ballet? Did you notice a divide of sorts in your heart between the dancing you’d grown up with and these new genres and styles you were now exploring? 
Your body does register the change in movement, to be sure. Being a dancer at heart, though, I think I accepted the challenge with ease, and I enjoyed letting my body experience every step of it. When you reside in your own country and tradition, you don’t really understand just how much richness there is to your culture. You don’t see how much people will appreciate what you grew up with, and this is something I became aware of when I started embracing it all and truly realizing what I brought to the table. 

Bollywood had always been a part of me, deep inside my core, and yet I had somehow hidden it for the sake of assimilation. Now that I was in college, it dawned on me – I no longer wanted to just blend in. This was a huge transition that culminated in my final years at Houston. Senior students were expected to design their own dance show for their final project, so I decided to integrate it all for mine – my native Bollywood plus what I’d learned in college. The result I called "Bollyhoppery" (yes, I made up that word on the spot!), and it was this really fun melting pot of styles where Bollywood was included in the costumes. I think my dancers truly enjoyed themselves, and the project was featured in the school’s finale. 

Fascinating, and what a positive end to your university days! So, this is how you set out on your professional life, and then again some change: the move to China! In your new surroundings, you had a clear vision this time.
Yes! At the University of Houston, we had these great programs that counted toward our credit while allowing students to experience life abroad. Every summer, I’d go to a different country: Spain, Costa Rica and, in my senior year, China! 
Someone in my group had invited this guy who had lived here for a long while, and we had this conversation together where I told him about my passion for all things dancing, including teaching it to others. He listened to me and replied, well I think you’d find your own place here in China. 

And so, say no more. I moved to China in the spring of 2019. In October, still fresh in the country, I hired a photographer, and we took to the Great Wall, where I wore my Western Indian outfit for a wonderful photoshoot featuring the ultimate cultural mix. As a newcomer to my host country, I felt as though this was a glimpse of myself to my new environment. 

It was an empowering, fun experience, and I actually still dream of doing a full-length, professionally edited dance video on the Great Wall. I say it’s a dream because that’s all it could ever be when I first moved to China, but I do feel closer to it now that I have been here for six years. I’ve managed to build this network of students and friends, and I really do feel as though I will make it all happen someday. 

To continue answering your question, I did indeed renew my dream of teaching the magic of Bollywood to others when I moved to Beijing. This is really my calling in life, and when I think about how my teaching actually enables me to be an ambassador of my own culture away from home – it’s nothing short of an honor. From Bombay to Beijing, I feel truly blessed to forge a connection throughout my artistic practice. My first steps in this direction came in 2021, with my first class at Taozi Tree Yoga Studio, where I first completed additional training as a yoga teacher before the lovely owner, Theresa, welcomed me back to teach dance. I can only feel gratitude and excitement for this ongoing journey. You mentioned before Punjabi Restaurant, where I’ve only ever been a couple times as a teacher, though I am a loyal customer otherwise. But it’s been a great experience with them, so I will go back for more classes open to the public. When I started at Taozi, I knew that I wanted to expand from there and keep forging my own connections. We’ll see how everything unfolds!

I think the community at large is all the luckier for people like you! I would love to visit India someday, but in the meantime, Beijing has provided me with a few chances to appreciate Indian culture and customs. I have such fond memories of the Indian embassy’s lovely Vasant Mela and Pookalam events. The colors, the vibrancy, the food! Needless to say, the soundtrack, too. Bollywood really is something else. Do you think you could condense its spirit in just a few lines for our readers? 
Hmmm. I suppose certain words do absolutely come to my mind: vibrant, energetic, expressive… It’s an art practice shaped by the community. When I teach my Bollywood classes, I always tell my students that the first step is to feel good in their bodies. You have to let the vibrancy of the music speak to your body so that it’ll move however it feels proper. The rest will follow in due time. 

Ah, so cool. What would you say are the sources of inspiration for Bollywood films, music and overall culture? Is there anything crucial to keep in mind as we approach this cultural universe? Often, I fear that foreigners lump everything together in one big sack with the Bollywood label, when surely there is more than meets the eye here. It’s one thing to be enamored at the melodies, the frantic action and colorful aesthetics, but we could gain from knowing more about the background behind it all…
So, I think one of the first things you’ll notice is that there’s a reason for every dance number in a Bollywood film. From a bursting fight to a blossoming love story, Bollywood loves to exaggerate things and sprinkle in some drama. The plot then becomes this grand thing, and that’s where the loudness and big feelings come in, much like in a telenovela. 

Another observation would be that Bollywood has their dancers lip-sync every song as they move! So much so, we would do just that in that dance company I was part of in high school. That’s not the case for many Western dance genres. Last but not least, there’s the language element. Old-school Bollywood used to be largely in Hindi, though nowadays there’s this tendency to switch into English for the dialogues and even entire songs. I don’t love this new direction; some of its true essence is lost, in my opinion. But that’s the way it is now, I suppose.

I see! Well then, I’d really like to know about your Bollywood idols and must-watch films. 
Okay, let me think! Hmm, Aamir Khan definitely comes to mind. He isn’t just an actor; he’s produced some rather meaningful films that actually provide food for thought – for instance, 3 Idiots is such an insightful look into the pressure Indian students often face, leading even to high suicide rates. Then on a lighter note, Ranveer Singh is such a hottie, as well as a good dancer. And if you’re looking for classics, you can never go wrong with Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Karan Johar, 2001) or even the somewhat more recent Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (Zoya Akhtar, 2011). 

Thank you so much for the recommendations. Now, back to you briefly before we close this blog post! How did that collaboration with Punjabi Restaurant come to be? Where else can we find you in 2025? 
As I mentioned before, I am their very loyal customer, and since they have a stage, things kind of worked out very organically for all parties involved, and it felt only right. I'm looking forward to more evenings there!

It’s gone now, but back in the day I also had heard of WeTrain, this community that catered to their members’ actual strengths and interests, and they’d had these Bollywood dance sessions. So I figured that there was potential to expand on that front through new opportunities and venues. 

I am more of an active organizer in Punjabi than I am over at Taozi, and currently I am looking into turning my evenings with them into a monthly thing – though people are asking for weekly Bollywood nights at the restaurant! Logistically, it does take time to figure things out, though, so we’ll see. 

I am definitely open to all opportunities to continue growing in the right way. Markets are also always fun, and I’ve got friends at these willing to spread the word about what I do. And for Vasant Mela 2025, I am planning an onstage performance where I’ll be bringing in some of my students, too!  Exciting times.  

Are you available to hire for private lessons and events? Think of a special activity for a fun party with friends. 
Oh, for sure! I have actually done that a few times, and I teach kids as well. It is a wonderfully international audience here, which I actually prefer in the sense that it’s always great to reach people from other cultures. In fact, if I must be honest, I only have a mostly Indian audience at events such as the Vasant Mela or Diwali. But I digress – absolutely reach out for your special event! 

I will say that for those of us who are somewhat clumsy, it does feel vulnerable to dance. Do you have any advice to overcome our fear of it? It’s so sad to let yourself feel mortified and miss out on the fun.
You know, that’s an interesting question because I’ve actually dealt with students that were very reluctant to dance in public next to other people, but I think I’ve succeeded in creating this safe space where you can just enjoy yourself. It’s not that there aren’t rules, but you shouldn’t concern yourself excessively with them. Even I skip them sometimes! 

I am a big believer in easing up pressure, moving your body and just ... dance! I also quite like breaking down my class into smaller groups that are then able to evolve gradually, from basic movements into more complex routines that feel natural and accessible by that point. Remember, if you’re showing up, you’re halfway there! 

Lovely. That’s such a positive approach that you’re offering to your students, Hasina. Alright! Before we rush to the dance floor, kindly let us know how we can stay updated about your work and events.
Easy! Just add my WeChat (WeChat ID: Hasina-Sadiwala) and I will then pull you into my own group where everyone can stay updated about my next moves and fun stuff coming up. Hope to see you there! 

READ: Vibrant Spring Fair Vasant Mela Returns to Beijing Mar 22

Images: courtesy of Tamara Zhemaitis, Meldoy Qu and Hasina Sadiwala