There are plenty of opportunities to find at the West Suburban YMCA. You see children of all ages and backgrounds running around the gym and the auditorium after school, or the preschoolers getting a lesson on their ABC’s. You have always been physically active, using the fitness center and running the track, but you’re looking for something new and exciting. On Wednesday nights, there is a class you discover called BollyX. Sounds interesting enough.

On Wednesday, you attend the class not knowing what to expect. You walk in and to your surprise the class is packed with women that define what it means to be inclusive. Women from all different demographics: age, race, culture and physical ability. Shamila, the instructor, immediately makes you feel embraced and welcomed. You still stand in the back because you are worried how silly you may look. The music starts, and the class immediately lights up; everyone is doing what they are capable of to stick to the beat. There are some women who seem like they have been Bolly dancers their entire lives and others who seem to be more your skill-level. As the class progresses, you start to forget the stress you had coming in, and you are grateful that you can be a part of a group that lets you move at your own pace.

The class ends, and you immediately begin to recognize the community that is within this class. The women who came across as professional dancers have brought their family and friends. Some came with a friend long ago and have not stopped coming ever since. You learn that the class originally met in Studio A, but it got so big they needed to move to the auditorium for more space. You did not know what to expect when walking through the doors to BollyX, but you walk away ready to come back to a new community you have discovered at the Y.