An Activity Centre For The Time-Strapped

Viola Wadia, a jeweller and dance enthusiast, enrolled for a number of dance classes but couldn’t complete even one of the three-to-six-month-long courses because of her erratic work hours. “We’re constantly on the lookout for fun things to do that don’t necessarily require long-term commitment,” said Wadia, who believes that her cousin Hema Thakur and she have created the perfect solution for time-strapped Mumbai residents like themselves. On Tuesday, May 1, the cousins will launch Temperance, a “culture hub” in Bandra that will offer daily yoga, dance, and mixed martial arts sessions without any stipulations. People will have the option to attend and pay for a single session, and dabble in as many activities as they like.

Though Wadia and Thakur are calling Temperance a culture hub, it would be more accurate to describe the enterprise as a multi-disciplinary activity centre. The focus at Temperance will be the classes, which will take place inside sprawling, daylight-filled studios with tall glass windows and floor-to-ceiling mirrors. The studios are housed in a four-storey Tudor-style bungalow near the Rizvi College of Hotel Management and Catering Technology. The ground and first floors of the 8,000 square feet property will be converted into a café, which is slated to open on Tuesday, May 15, while the second and third floor will serve as the dance studio and mixed martial arts room respectively.

The classes on offer include belly dancing, Zumba, contemporary dance, salsa, Hatha yoga, Iyengar yoga, self defence (for women), strength training, judo, jujutsu, and mixed martial arts. Many of the instructors at Temperance are Wadia and Thakur’s friends, and the duo will continue to scout for talent to add more activities to the Temperance menu. On weekends, in addition to fixed classes, Temperance will host workshops on pottery, art appreciation, origami, knitting, and chocolate making.

The upper section of the all-day café will have a small library, and will also be the venue for book and movie clubs that they plan to start soon after Temperance opens. The café will offer salads, sandwiches, a few main courses of grilled meats and seafood, and pastries. The food will be prepared out of the kitchen of Wadia’s Pali Hill home. “We’re hoping that once Temperance opens, people will have fewer complaints about not knowing how to spend their free time in Mumbai,” said Wadia.

Temperance will open on Tuesday, May 1. Single sessions of yoga, dance, and mixed martial arts are priced at Rs500 each. The average price of eight sessions is Rs3,000. See here for the schedule. To register for a class, call 98338 33270 or email info@temperance.co.in.

Temperance

LocationSt. Xaverian Court
Sherly Rajan Road
Near Rizvi College of Hotel Management
Bandra (West)

Phone98203 87694 and 98338 33270

HoursDaily, 7am to 9.30pm

Websitewww.temperance.co.in