It’s hard to feel like a Bollywood glamour queen when you’re shimmying backwards across the floor, shaking your hips, arms outstretched, twisting your hands as if you’re unscrewing lightbulbs – and trying to remember your fixed million rupee smile.

I’m at the Rendezvous hotel in Skipton, where Bollywood dance classes were launched this week, bringing the glamour and vibrancy of the Indian film industry to the Yorkshire Dales.

The classes are run by Salma Zaman, who set up the first Bollywood dance school in the North. A dance and fitness instructor, she has worked with Bollywood stars, danced with Gareth Gates and actress Meera Syal in a pop video, and choreographed a routine for Coronation Street. She performed at the Bollywood Oscars, held in Yorkshire in 2007, and launched the region’s first Bollywood Dance Championships.

Salma has trained in Pakistan, learning Lollywood – the Pakistani version of Bollywood – and in Turkey, learning Arabic dancing. She says Bollywood dancing – or ‘Bolly-aerobics’ – based on colourful dance routines from the movies, is a fun way to keep fit.

“It’s good cardio-vascular activity and great for toning, particularly arms,” she says. “It’s constant movement, using every part of the body. You use your feet to shift your body weight, you move your hips, and you’re working on hands and fingers with the classical hand movements. Anyone can have a go, whatever your shape or age. It improves posture and builds confidence.” Bollywood is full of romance and adventure, and Salma says storytelling is an integral part of the dancing. “It’s all told through body language and dance, with emphasis on facial expression and hand gestures,” she says. “As well as learning a new dance skill and keeping fit, it’s fun. There’s lots of laughter!”

Salma, who lost two stone in six weeks through Bollywood dancing, combines traditional and modern ethnic dance styles with salsa, Turkish bellydancing, Latin quick-step and African dance, incorporating them into a cardio-vascular workout. “The moves are based on Indian classical and folk dances; a ‘masala mix’ of styles,” she smiles.

We start with the Anjali, the palm-to-palm movement you associate with Bollywood, then we stretch our arms up and arrange our hands into a classical gesture.

“Think of unscrewing lightbulbs,” says Salma. Bringing the arms down, we rearrange the fingers into the Alapadmas – or Woof Woof, as Salma calls it, possibly because it resembles a dog shadow puppet. With fingers in position, we move on to some hip-shaking.

Then comes the Bollywood shimmy. This involves dancing backwards, one arm in the air, the other on the opposite hip, shaking your shoulders and chest. Not as easy as it sounds. It takes several attempts for me to get the shimmying going, and when I finally get into the rhythm, I realise I’m neglecting my classical hand movements. My arm is just hanging in the air; I look like I’m waving for a bus. As for glamorous Bollywood facial expressions – mine’s a confused frown. We move on to intricate foot steps. Focusing on our feet, with hands on hips, it’s like being in a Riverdance line-up. Then comes something resembling line-dancing; we wave above our heads in circular lassoo-style movements, then drop into what Salma calls the Chug Chug, which is like doing the Locomotion.

We practised each movement a few times, until eventually it all comes together and we’re performing something resembling a Bollywood routine to a lively Bhangra beat. Despite being eight months pregnant, Salma shifts seamlessly from step to step, making it all look graceful, sensual and effortless. I feel like a clumsy oaf with two left feet trying to keep up with her. It’s pretty strenuous and we work up a sweat. I can feel the blood pumping and the pull of muscles as I stretch. The others are sensibly dressed in vests and leggings and I regret my decision to go for a bit of a Bollywood look with a floaty skirt and huge earrings.

“As long as you’re comfortable and it doesn’t breach health and safety, there’s no dress code,” says Salma. “Women sometimes wear shalwar kameez and headscarves. It’s not like being in a gym where you feel you have to be toned enough to wear skin-tight Lycra.”

The class is fun and Salma is a great teacher; demonstrating movements and going through them thoroughly with us. She says the rising popularity of Bollywood in Western culture has boosted interest. “Bollywood films are screened at mainstream cinemas and there are Bollywood routines in movies like Slumdog Millionaire, The Guru and Bride And Prejudice. It’s colourful, fun and full of energy, romance and action.”

She teaches Bollywood in Bradford to everyone from three-year-old children to grandmothers, and set up men’s classes, following demand. She’s keen for couples to attend classes.

“I’m devising a romantic routine, with confetti,” she says. “It’s the perfect way to learn a special wedding dance.”

This summer, Salma’s holding the Yorkshire Bollywood Dance Championships at the Rendezvous, and will include a special couples category. Brides-to-be or couples joining Bollywood classes at the hotel have the chance to win a free wedding hire there.

Monthly Bollywood dance classes are held at the Rendezvous hotel in Skipton, from 7pm to 8pm. For details ring (01756) 700100. For more about Salma’s academy, ring 07974 008239 or visit the website at salmasbollywood academy.com.