Last year it was her seventh video program, The Masala Bhangra Workout...Hollywood Bollywood Style, and a promotion with global nutrition company Nestlé's Mexican branch whereby the DVD was packaged in millions of Nestlé's Fitness cereal boxes--also featuring her picture.
This year Sarina Jain, New York fitness instructor and creator of the Masala Bhangra Workout, introduced both a new video title and her own line of Masala Bhangra-themed saris at her dance/exercise program's 11th anniversary celebration last Saturday night at Soho's Red Bull Space.
"Women who wear saris look absolutely ravishing," says Jain, who sported one of her new saris at Red Bull--as did the rest of her Masala Bhangra master instructors. "I wear them all the time--so why not create one that has a unique message?"
So far there are two Masala Bhangra saris: The Sarina Jain model is covered with text from the many press features written about Jain and Masala Bhangra. The Dhol sari features an illustration of a dhol player--"the essence of the music we dance to," says Jain--plus motivational workout phrases, including, of course, the bhangra party shout-out "Balle! Balle!"
A fitness instructor with 20 years experience, Jain conceived the Masala Bhangra Workout to honor her Indian heritage. The intensely rhythmic Punjabi folk music is based on the beat of the double-sided, barrel-shaped dhol drum. Her workout--which she says burns over 500 calories per session--takes the energetic bhangra dance form and incorporates Bollywood moves, salsa and hip-hop; masala is a Hindi word for "spicy" that is often used affectionately to describe typical Bollywood movies.
"The saris aren't necessarily for workout gear but couture," continues Jain. "It expands the Masala Bhangra lifestyle beyond fitness."
A third sari model, The Moon Sari, is forthcoming, she adds.
"The idea is looking up at the moon and making a wish, and your dreams coming true," says Jain, who will market her saris at masaladance.com.
Meanwhile, Jain has added a new twist to Masala Bhangra in her just-released Bar Bhangra Workout video. The program incorporates a full body strength-training workout into the Masala Bhangra cardio routines in toning and building muscle strength while burning calories.
"It's still Indian dance, but while holding no more than one-pound bars in your hands," she says. "The bars are made in India and are 15-inches in length, and while the focus is more on strength training, it's also cardio because of the fact that you're still moving around."
The sticks are "light enough to comfortably hold," says Jain.
"You can still 'turn the lightbulb' while holding a bar in your hands," she adds, explaining that the twisting hand motion of "turning a lightbulb" is a traditional bhangra movement. "We also do more squats and lunges than we do in the straight Masala Bhangra dance workout--plus [weighted arm] curls. So it's an overall weight-training body workout."
The sticks resemble the longer sticks used in traditional bhangra dance, which originated as a folk dance by Punjabi farmers.
"I basically cut them in half!" says Jain.
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