I Tried a Bhangra Dance Class and My Dad Moves Didn’t Stand a Chance

This is part of a winter series on things to do indoors in Boston.

On a typical winter weeknight, the Dance Complex in Central Square buzzes with a diverse array of classes, from tango to West African dance. Despite the talented crowd it attracts, the affordable classes welcome all levels, which was essential for me, as my moves had become decidedly “dad-like” in middle age.

I chose a bhangra class, the energetic Punjabi folk dance traditionally associated with the harvest and familiar from Bollywood films. Run by the nonprofit Boston Bhangra, the class on this particular evening included three novices and one expert dancer, all of whom were instantly put at ease by instructor Kit Tempest. Before getting started, he offered these words of encouragement: “Don’t be afraid of failure, and don’t be afraid to feel silly!”

Bhangra is based on heart-pounding, nonstop patterns of jumping and hopping to the beat of the music. I managed the footwork fine, but adding the arm movements threw me completely out of sync. Thankfully, a class regular who danced bhangra all four years in college gave me helpful tips to get me back in rhythm.

With the basic steps somewhat established, Kit moved on to actual choreography: the Horse Dance, a sequence where the gestures tell the story of tough young horsemen confronting rivals. Before we finished, the expert dancer gave us one final instruction: “Smile.” Bhangra audiences always want to see a smile. While I won’t be onstage anytime soon, I was smiling the whole time anyway.

Cambridge, dancecomplex.org, bostonbhangra.com. 

This article was first published in the print edition of the December 2025/January 2026 issue as part of a winter activities package with the headline: “The Great Indoors.”