A Hobart gym targeted by repeated attacks during multicultural dance classes is fighting back with joy, inviting the community to join a free Bollywood workshop this Wednesday night.
Artgym owner Eilish Kidd and Bollywood dance instructor Pratik Vhatkar are encouraging people to fill the Barrack Street studio with music and movement after a series of incidents targeting classes over the past few months.
Vhatkar said the response from the community had been overwhelming, with many people asking how they could show their support.
“Haters are gonna hate, but we will still create,” he told Pulse.
“A lot of people have said, ‘How can we help?'”
“I think it’s just about showing support.”
Vhatkar has been running Bollywood dance classes around Hobart for five years and said he wanted Wednesday night’s event to showcase the joy and connection the classes have created.
The free workshop will be held at Artgym from 6pm to 7pm on Wednesday and is open to anyone who wants to take part.
“Come in, wear some comfy shoes, get a bottle of water and come have fun,” Vhatkar said.
“I think a smile on your face is what we will guarantee in return.”
He said the event was about bringing people together and celebrating multiculturalism through dance.
The workshop comes after Artgym reported a series of escalating attacks, including rocks, bottles and dinner plates being thrown at the building during multicultural dance classes.
Kidd said a window had been smashed during one class and later damaged again, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Vhatkar also had his car windshield smashed by rocks thrown from a roof during a recent Wednesday night class.
Kidd said the incidents had left some people feeling uneasy about attending.
“It kind of feels like people have to be wary when they’re walking in and out at the moment and that’s not what we want Hobart to be,” she said.
She said the gym had also received significant support from the wider community.
“Overall, there’s been a lot of support for the gym and the community and it would bring some of those issues to the forefront,” she said.
While some people had offered to stand guard during classes or even film from neighbouring balconies, Kidd and Vhatkar said the best way to show support was to join in.
Vhatkar said he hoped Wednesday night’s workshop would be a chance for people to connect, celebrate and have fun.
