Masala Bhangra spice of life

Students in Rachelle Wish’s Masala Bhangra class are encouraged to imagine themselves at an Indian wedding or in a Bollywood movie. The Vancouver fitness instructor calls out “Bhangra Basic,” and the class responds by raising their arms in a W shape, turning their wrists like they’re screwing in light bulbs, and tapping alternate heels across their bodies. Wish calls for “Bhangra Love,” and the group begins a forward-moving pattern.

“How we doing?” Wish asks.

“Balle! Balle!” they answer.

That’s a Punjabi cheer, and an expression of joy appropriate in a fitness class that combines Bollywood moves with bhangra, a folk dance from the northern Indian state of Punjab. Masala is Hindi for “spicy.”

Wish, 48, is the only certified Masala Bhangra instructor in Oregon and Washington. Wish, who owns the Zumba workout instruction business Zumbanize, teaches group exercise classes at Marshall Community Center and other Vancouver dance and fitness facilities. At a Zumba convention in Florida last year, she heard about Masala Bhangra from its founder, Sarina Jain.

“I love the music, the energy, and just the style,” Wish said.

She also likes that it’s different from Zumba, kickboxing and other cardio classes.

“I think it’s so important to cross-train,” she said.

Wish went to Los Angeles last summer for Jain’s training and certification program. She started offering Masala Bhangra at Marshall in January.

Already she’s found a dedicated following. Many students know Wish from her Zumba classes, but others were attracted to Masala Bhangra for reasons beyond fitness.

Sue Nagra heard about the new course offering at Marshall from a friend, and saw it as a cultural opportunity.

Nagra, a stay-at-home mother from Vancouver, was born in India but raised in the United States. Bhangra is very popular in India, but she never learned how to do it. Until now, that is.

“I like it,” Nagra said. “(Wish) shows all the steps. I’m learning the basics.”

Nagra takes the class with her sister and niece, along with friends from their Indian church. Some wear basic sweats, but others don a salwar kameez, or Punjabi suit. The loose pants and tunic are light and easy to move in, Nagra said.

She may have joined the class for cultural reasons, but Nagra enjoys the fitness aspect as well.

“I feel good after that,” she said. “My shoulders are sore.”

o What: Masala Bhangra party hosted by Rachelle Wish benefiting Haiti relief efforts.

o When: 8 to 9 a.m. Saturday.

o Where: Evergreen Dance Academy, 2100 S.E. 164th Ave., Suite C-102, Vancouver.

o Cost: $5 minimum donation. All proceeds go to Catholic Relief Service’s efforts in Haiti. Pay at the door. No advanced registration.

o Information: http://www.zumbanize.com, 503-703-7187.

Masala Bhangra emphasizes the deltoids. Students have their arms in the air for most of the nearly hourlong, nonstop class. Many moves require squatting, so the quadriceps get a good workout as well, along with the hamstrings and core muscles.

Jain created Masala Bhangra to be a full-body workout. Her father passed away in 1994 at age 47, due to massive cardiac arrest, and that inspired Jain to found a fitness program geared toward Indians.

Jain, who splits her time between New York City and Los Angeles, launched The Masala Bhangra Workout in 1998. It really took off in 2006, when she landed a show on Discovery Communication’s FitTV. This led to several “Today Show” interviews and increased awareness of Masala Bhangra. The classes are now offered nationwide, and Jain is expanding into international markets.

The workout fuses India’s past and present. Bhangra is steeped in tradition, while Bollywood is modern.

“Bollywood is India’s Hollywood. It’s glitz and glamour,” Jain said of the films, which are filled with big song-and-dance numbers.

Though Jain had a target audience in mind when she created Masala Bhangra, she’s been surprised by its broader appeal.

“I thought it would be the Indian uncles and aunties, but it’s surprisingly popular with Americans,” Jain said.

Rachelle Wish teaches Masala Bhangra at Marshall Community Center in Vancouver through Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department. Class meets Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:25 p.m. and costs $25 per month. To learn more, go to http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parks-recreation/. General information about Masala Bhangra is available on founder Sarina Jain’s Web site, http://www.masaladance.com.

Ellen Gyberg finds herself among those Masala Bhangra converts. Gyberg, a Hazel Dell resident who owns a payroll and bookkeeping service, heard about the workout through Wish’s Zumba class and decided to give it a try.

“It’s so much fun,” she said. “It’s just so different from any kind of dance I’ve done.”

And although it’s fun, sore shoulders and thighs after sessions remind Gyberg that she’s getting an effective workout.

“I’m totally drenched usually from head to toe,” she said. “You get really sore the next day, but it’s the good sore.”

It’s also good for the psyche, said Erica Poggio, a Clark College nursing student and McMenamins on the Columbia server. The Vancouver resident has been taking Wish’s Masala Bhangra class for about two months.

“It’s really good for stress release,” Poggio said. “You’re not focusing on what’s going on outside of class. You’re focused on your next move.”

Mary Ann Albright: maryann.albright@columbian.com, 360-735-4507.