This week’s instructor spotlight is on Malvika Raj, our Bay Area instructor! Malvika has been a certified BollyX instructor since 2014 and leads weekly classes in San Francisco. Learn more about Malvika in our interview with her below!
Q: Tell us about yourself – where are you from, what do you do for a living, what are you passionate about, etc.?
By day, I work in Business Intelligence. By night, I’m Batman. But when I’m not out fighting crime in Gotham Ciy, I’m teaching BollyX or at dance practice with a Bay Area dance team I’m on called Bhangra Empire! Dance is without a doubt my biggest passion in life. I began learning Bharatanatyam, an ancient Indian classical dance form, when I was just 4 years old and in college I went on to join a dance team called Cornell Bhangra, and even had the opportunity to compete on the Quarterfinals of America’s Got Talent with them in 2014!
Q: How would you describe BollyX in one word?
Family. Teaching BollyX has given me the opportunity to connect with my local community through the YMCAs that I teach at. I’ve also been able to connect with other BollyX instructors, near and far, through the awesome community that the BollyX team has built. Now I’m a part of a family of hundreds of supportive and positive individuals who also share my passion for dance and fitness!!
Q: What is your favorite part of BollyX class?
That’s a really tough question to answer!! I especially like the performance song, bhangra songs, and I love the cool down because it leaves me feeling very zen and positive. Overall though, I’d have to say my favorite part of each class is catching people totally rocking out to a song. Seeing people enjoy class as much as I do really pumps me up!
Q: How has working with BollyX changed you?
BollyX has instilled in me a newfound passion for fitness and fitness instruction. Before BollyX, I always felt intimidated by the gym and fitness instructors and thought that becoming an instructor was out of reach for me, but through this journey of becoming certified and eventually launching a class, I now feel more confident in myself than ever. I’ve also made a ton of new friends in the community who continue to help me grow everyday with their knowledge and support. Physically, since I started teaching I’ve lost over 10 pounds, built muscle, and I feel like a million bucks!
Q: How long have you been with BollyX?
I became certified in December 2014!
Q: Where do you teach BollyX?
I teach BollyX every week at the Embarcadero YMCA in San Francisco and the Downtown Oakland YMCA in Oakland! It’s the highlight of my week ☺
