Basic Bollywood Dance Moves:
A Glossary

Bollywood films are a great resource for learning dance moves, but it can be more difficult for a beginning dancer to learn like that right away. (You won’t believe how many times I played Dola Re Dola from Devdas trying to learn the steps.) That’s why I created this illustrated glossary of basic Bollywood dance steps, moves and positions – to help beginning dancers build a better Bollywood dance foundation so they can eventually move more like Madhuri Dixit and Shah Ruh Khan.

User’s Note

If you know any other basic Bollywood dance moves (whether they have names or not!) that you would like to see added to this list, please let me know.

Upper Body

These moves concentrate on using the waist on up.

Basic (Position)

Loosely clench your fists and lightly rest them on your hips.

Shoulders (Movement)

A coordinated up and down shoulder motion involving both shoulders is integral to many Bollywood moves (as well as Bhangra ones).

Lotus, or First Position (Position)

Start with open palms facing the sky and away from you. Slightly bend the wrists outward. Keep the thumb neutral but the other fingers extended so that they gradually rise in a scale from the thumb and to the bent pinky. This hand posture resembles a lotus blossom.

Second Position (Position)

Bend your thumb and curl it into your palm; curl your pointer finger over your thumb and try to lay it as flat as you can. Keep your pinky, ring and middle fingers on each hand extended and joined together.

Third Position (Position)

Keep your fingers on each hand extended and joined together except your ring finger; this finger should be bent toward your palm.

Prayer (Position)

Bring the palms of your hands together and rest them over your heart. Your forearms should form one continuous line from across your chest.

T (Position)

Face your palms down to the ground (the backs of your hands should face your chin) and bring them to just about where your breasts should start; your forearms should be in line with your biceps and your pointer fingers should be touching.

Modified OK (Position)

Touch the tips of your thumb and pointer fingers to form a rounded ‘O’ shape. Keep your pinky, ring and middle fingers on each hand extended and joined together.

Extended Prayer (Position)

Press the palms of your hands together over your heart. Keeping the same hands position, extend your arms all the way above your head.

Light Bulb (Movement)

Spread your fingers apart. At the same time, turn your wrist toward your body as if you were screwing in a light bulb and flick your wrist back and forth.

Bangles (Movement)

Lightly touch the inside of your wrists together – as if forming an ‘X’ shape. (This movement is especially effective when performed in a series, from side to side or from high to low.)

Bhangra L (Movement)

Extend your thumb and pointer fingers outward to form an ‘L’ shape, and curl your other three fingers into your palm. Extend your arms outward in front of you. At the same, sharply rotate (flick) your wrists and bob your shoulders up and down.

Sideways T (Movement)

At the same time move one elbow upward, the other elbow downward and bend your waist slightly to the side where the elbow points down.

Lower Body

These moves concentrate on using the waist on down.

Basic Step (Step)

Putting your weight on the balls of your feet, quickly bend, raise and lower the left knee, with the left foot slightly forward. Then immediately, but only slightly, lift the right knee as though it were a countermeasure. This step should be quick and fluid.

Heels (Step)

Step out with one foot, your heel making contact with the floor; your toes should be extended and pointing away from the floor. Then your foot should return to the center. (You can step to the front, to the side or on a diagonal.)

Back Point Step (Movement/Step)

Leading with your toe, step behind your other foot and pull your calf behind your other leg. Place your toe on the ground.

Backward Bhangra Pivot Step (Movement/Step)

Take four steps traveling backwards: two on each side. When you step, pivot outward using the hip (as though avoiding a large ball) and bring it behind the other foot before starting again with the other leg.

Combinations

These moves make use of the dancer’s whole body.

Basic Combination

Putting your weight on the balls of your feet, quickly bend, raise and lower the left knee, with the left foot slightly forward. Then immediately, but only slightly, lift the right knee as though it were a countermeasure. This step should be quick and fluid. At the same time, loosely clench your fists and rest the front of your wrists on your hips.

Sideways T + Back Point Step

At the same time move one elbow upward, the other elbow downward and bend your waist slightly to the side where the elbow points down.

Leading with your toe, step behind your other foot and pull your calf behind your other leg. Place your toe on the ground.

The downward elbow and the pointed toe should be on the same side of the body.