Get swept up by Bollywood dance and music at Union Station tonight

In Bollywood films, people break into song and dance just about anywhere, anytime. Tonight, you can experience that vitality and spontaneity at Metro Art's Bollywood Express event, an Indian music and dance show taking place at Union Station.

Get moving at the Metro

Members of Blue13 pose in traditional Indian clothing for a photo shoot.

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Blue13 Dance Group

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Blue13 Dance Group

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“We sometimes like to be playful about bringing in events where you’re actually moving your body,” said Heidi Zeller, senior manager of cultural programming for Metro. “And so we thought Bollywood would be really fun for that.”

To bring that idea to life, Metro went to one of the premiere Indian dance troupes in Los Angeles — the Blue13 Dance Company.

For many Angelenos, it’s a chance to experience something new, but for members of the Blue13, Indian dance is their whole life.

“It was kind of non-existent when I started about a little over 20 years ago,” said Achinta S. McDaniel, founding artistic director of Blue13.

Many of the dancers are first generation, born to South Asian parents. They remix traditional practices and turn them into new dances that reflect their lives in Los Angeles today.

A multitude of artists

Metro Art’s Bollywood Express will give people a chance to learn modern Bollywood dances in the Cathedral-like space of Union Station. But the event is much more than a dance class.

Renowned Indian DJ, Sandeep Kumar, and Dhol drummer group, Dholnation, will accompany Blue13 through their performance.

“Dhol, it’s a two-sided Punjabi drum that you hit with mallets and you wear a strap on your shoulder so the drummers can walk and dance,” McDaniel said.

A grand entrance

The event will open with a procession through the station with dancers and drummers emerging from the B/D lines. They’ll then arrive at the stage in the ticket concourse.

“ There are so many Bollywood films that take place on trains and famous scenes on trains,” McDaniel said. ”So I was so excited to bring the company there and to be able to mesh that with the sort of epic majesty and grandeur and huge production value that we see in Bollywood. It's a dream come true.”

Also on the program

A convergence of Indian performance art isn’t all that will be at the event. Bollywood Express Metro wants attendees to get the full cultural experience.

Henna artist Neha Assar will be showing off her dye-art skills, and food will be provided by Bollywood Bites.

Popular dishes include go-to street food like chaat and samosas.

Every element of the night contributes to the special showcase of Indian culture and celebrates SoCal's Indian diaspora.

“It's really about memory making and having things that we know, that we created together with the audience, these incredible moments that will live on,” McDaniel said.

Members of the Blue13 Dance Group frozen in various dance poses.

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PETER ZUEHLKE

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Blue13 Dance Group

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Details 

Bollywood Express

Location: Los Angeles Union Station
800 North Alameda St., Los Angeles

Date & Time: Saturday, Aug. 30, 7-10 p.m.