Mombasa Jhooms!

 

Yesterday Mombasa Jhoomed! Or at least 15 women at Bodybliss Gym in Mombasa Jhoomed! This was the first time Just Jhoom! has travelled to Africa. It excites me no end to have brought Just Jhoom! even for a short space of time to the country of my birth!

Many of you already know that Just Jhoom! is an amalgamation of Indian classical dance, aerobics and yoga with Bhangra, hip-hop, salsa all thrown in in small doses – and what you get is a spicy blend – or masala – of dance. It is very Bollywood, it is very tongue-in-cheek, it is energetic – and more importantly it is a fun way of working up a sweat.

As a child I was fortunate enough to learn folk dancing and then later Bharata Natyam (South Indian Classcial Dance) which have both really informed Just Jhoom! Kenya was where my knowledge of Indian classical/folk dancing was really formulated. I have written about this in more detail in my blog entry http://justjhoom.wordpress.com/2010/09/

So, it feels like coming back and dancing here is coming full circle.

The ladies at the gym were warm and welcoming – and really keen to see what Just Jhoom! was about. None of them had heard about it – which is not really surprising as all our marketing has been focused on the UK. So, they really had no idea what they were in for!

I started the class in the way that all Just Jhoom! classes round the world start – with a mobility warm-up Jhoom Baraber Jhoom, I then did a pulse-raiser to the song Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. We then went on to do some Just Jhoom! favourites including Twist, Zoobi Doo, Shut Up & Bounce and Baamulaiza. I also threw in some of my favourites which are Ale and Character Dheela. Our cool-down was to Ali Zafar’s Jhoom.

I was quite nervous before I started. How would these women react? What would they think? Would they enjoy it? Would they be ok with the style and format of the class – Just Jhoom! is not your typical Bollywood dance class – we run our classes in a very particular way!

I had nothing to worry about! The ladies smiled all the way through the warm-up and the first routine – I obviously wasn’t working them hard enough!!! So I up-ed the pace – and they did brilliantly well. Everything I threw at them – they did with gusto and great enthusiasm – I couldn’t have asked for more!

The feedback at the end of the class was fantastic – so much so that many of them asked me to move to Mombasa! I’m not sure I’ll be doing that as the heart of the operations of Just Jhoom! is in the UK – but I am really keen to see if there is anyone in Kenya that is interested to head-up operations here…..so if you are are a fitness professional or even an entrepreneur interested in running a dance-fitness business – do contact me…

In the meantime I’m off to Just Jhoom! with the ladies one more time!

5 Replies to “Mombasa Jhooms!”

  1. Amanda

    Good day! This post could not be written any better!
    Reading this post reminds me of my previous room mate!
    He always kept talking about this. I will forward
    this write-up to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read.

    Many thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Pingback: More progress with the Cook to Jhoom book….and my favourite comfort food. | Cook2Jhoom

  3. sumali jayasinghe

    Hi there, hope everything is going well. I am part of mombasa Jhooms. If you remember ,I am sumali I came on 2nd day. I spoke to you and you recodnized that I have done Bharata natyam. Yes I am. Also i would love to take resposible to doing it. Its my passion. I have done yoga too. Most of my friends requested me to start, but I was waiting to hear from you first. Kindly reply to me…looking forward to hear from you…thanks and all the best for your future…HAPPY HOLI!!!!

    Reply

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