Do the bhangra -- your wild self will thank you

Bhangra is a centuries-old dance form born of harvest festivals in India’s Punjab region. Over the millenniums, however, it has evolved into a let-your-hair-down affair that can be learned -- at least the basics -- in a matter of moments. And that happens every time teacher Achinta S. McDaniel snaps on her portable CD player.

“In my classes, regardless of age, dance level or ethnicity, the dhol beats are so infectious that you immediately want to move to them,” McDaniel says, describing the traditional Indian drum whose rhythms accompany the dance. “Even new dancers totally unfamiliar with Indian culture just start moving and bouncing.”

McDaniel, who also teaches to a live dhol, is one of 12 local instructors taking part in “A Taste of Dance” -- a sampler of genres being offered Saturday at the Los Angeles Music Center Plaza. The first-time event, which will offer 20-minute introductory classes in a dozen forms, is conceived as a sweaty celebration of L.A.’s multicultural diversity: tango, ballet, bhangra, capoeira (from a Brazilian martial art), hip-hop, tap, jazz, Mexican folklorico and traditional dances of Ghana, Java, Hungary and Tahiti.

The outdoor festival is one of many upcoming opportunities “for regular folks like you and me to dance, play instruments, sing and make art together,” says Josephine Ramirez, an organizer of the Center’s new Informal Arts Initiative.

Hands up

With only 20 minutes per lesson, the goal, of course, isn’t mastery. The idea is to sample something new -- $5 buys three classes -- and to have a good time. McDaniel, a full-time teacher and choreographer, has no doubts that’ll happen with bhangra, danced at weddings and other social events.

It’s all about the shoulders, says McDaniel, whose Punjabi father flew in an Indian dhol player for her four-day-long wedding.

“Your shoulders keep moving up and down and your arms are up. It’s like what you’d expect at a wedding. The whole dance floor is jumping with their hands up. It’s really fun.”

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-- Zan Dubin Scott

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“A Taste of Dance,” L.A. Music Center plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. $5 dance cards, which buy three classes, go on sale at 10:30 a.m. No dance experience necessary. (213) 972-3660; www.musiccenter.org.