Asian-Bollywood Fusion Fitness Class Draws Locals

Never before have I witnessed a group of primarily middle-aged Asian women strumming their hearts out on the air guitar in a fitness class.

So it was Friday morning at the Palo Alto Family YMCA on Ross Road, in “VivAsia,” a group fitness aerobic workout inspired by Asian and Bollywood dance (and a bit of Van Halen).

“Step, kick. Turn, chassé!” I dug back into my pre-teen ballet class memories to keep pace with instructor-creator Ying Mitchell, who makes coordinated Asian dance with fans, batons and ribbons look about as easy as frying an egg.

But all levels and ages are welcome in this 8:30 a.m. class, and you don't have to be Asian, Indian or female to have fun in it. “A lot of people need instruction, but [Mitchell] explains things. She makes it fun,” said Palo Alto resident Elyse Feldman, who has attended Mitchell's classes for nearly eight years.

Mitchell, who co-created VivAsia (formerly B'Asia) in April 2009 with Bhuvna Ayyagari, was recruited to teach a month-long version of VivAsia at Google and a session on Stanford's campus.

VivAsia students practice several repetitive dance structures in one session, so though easy enough for a newcomer to catch on with keen concentration, the changing routines still challenge veteran members.

In her 25 years of teaching, Mitchell found that group fitness classes mainly use “American” music. “I thought, I have a heritage. I'm Chinese ... so I started exploring Asian music and dance,” said Mitchell.

When the Y's group wellness director, Diana Turner, introduced Mitchell to Ayyagari, a Bollywood instructor, Mitchell knew the combination would fulfill the requirements of a successful group fitness class: unique, challenging and fun.

“She really has the ability to bring in this different style of music into the group exercise scene,” said Turner of Mitchell, who has extensive health and fitness experience in pilates, step and aerobics.

“On a Sunday, there would be 100 people in the class. They follow her,” said Feldman of Mitchell's dedicated following in her 9 a.m. Sunday zumba class.

Mitchell's students are so fond of her that upon returning home from visits to China, many bring back new props for the class. Mitchell is always experimenting with new props, choreography and music—using drumsticks, weights, ribbons, handkerchiefs and fans.

“I look at dance movements that represent a history and tradition of certain movements,” of dance from the Hunan province or Han ethnic group in China, for example, said Mitchell. “I want them to think of the culture, to open their mind.”

Instead of a hamstring or knee curl, “this movement is about harvesting,” Mitchell will show in class.

One of the best parts about working out at the local Y, according to several of Mitchell's students, is the relationships formed with other members. “It's really fun. Time just passes by when you're working out [in VivAsia],” said Palo Alto resident Ping Ping, who frequently meets up with the other VivAsia “regulars” for lunch—or yoga.

“The PA Family Y is very family-oriented,” said Mitchell. “It's very welcoming, very supportive. Communities are being built within each class. People start to get to know each other, do coffees, start to go on family vacations together.”

At the Y with group fitness, we want to help people achieve whatever goals they set for themselves, said Turner. “People who are just getting started off in fitness often need a lot of support. By creating support with group fitness here at the Y, they start to come not just because they have to, but because they want to.”

And because it is a family YMCA, says Turner, parents come work out with their kids and grandparents with their grandchildren.

With more than 100 classes included free (including VivAsia) with membership to the Palo Alto Family YMCA, a member's options are far from limited. Check out Tuesday's Group Cycle or Sunday's Turbo Kick. A full list of the classes can be found here.

The local Y also offers youth sports programs, day camps, family programs and more. For a list of membership dues and facilities throughout the Bay Area, check out the website. 

For Mitchell, VivAsia has become a start-up business—like zumba, Les Mills, Jazzercise and other unique workouts—that she hopes to grow throughout the United States and globally. “I would like to develop VivAsia to include many different aspects, such as giving back to communities, educating youth about fitness and more,” she said.