Seeing as this is the last time I may be writing this topic as a blog, I thought I would share some thoughts about what good bhangra is. Of course, bhangra allows you to express yourself in any way you wish, and you can make at unique as you want to take it. Nonetheless, there are still those moments in a dance choreography set or the small elements that make the whole performance better. There have been numerous competitions across the years, and it is a challenge to bring something new to the table every year. Yet, teams have been able to do this every time. The most impressive parts of dance sets are things beyond the choreography. You have to look good as one group, meaning you have to be synchronized. You have to take risks in the things you do and be creative. And of course, you have to show the biggest, confident energy you have on stage. This last part of energy is something all rubrics will have at competitions, and it makes the sets much better. Tied along with the energy you present on stage is the “nakhre” you show on stage. Nakhre means attitude in Punjabi. By attitude, we mean the proper expressions during the different segments of your dance. The biggest association with nakhre is that you are genuinely smiling and genuinely enjoying yourself of stage. Not only are you, yourself, having fun, but you are also looking at your teammates and sharing the love on stage with them.

Considering these elements beyond the choreography itself, you can create a bigger picture of what bhangra is about. I aimed to highlight these aspects throughout my blogs. Now, I want to bring it all together and show you my favorite performance from a team. The following video is from a competition in Washington DC called Bhangra Blowout, and is one of the biggest collegiate competitions for bhangra teams. In 2016, CMU Bhangra put on the best performance I have seen.

Video from Harjot Hundal Channel on Youtube

Watching their performance never gets old. Each time I watch it, I am amazed by the synchrony, creativity, simplicity, nakhre, and so much more. From the beginning, they open with a mela scene which is a depiction of a fair or festival where people gather and socialize in India. This encapsulates the rich history portrayed by bhangra. Then, as they transition into their dance, they start very simple with their moves. The powerful part of this is that they are all moving together as one unit. They are stronger together. As they continue with their set, they will continue to be in sync. They introduce great creative elements in the remainder of their choreography as well. Not many teams would have a live musician come out on the middle of their stage, but CMU took the risk. This risk added beautifully to their performance and it showed once again how simple bhangra can be by just dancing on the beat of one instrument. Their energy keeps elevating, and none of the dancers show that they are tired. They continue showing their best performance. Lastly, I wanted to make note of the nakhre and stage presence they have. They are always smiling, and they are always looking at one another showcasing the love between each team member. Everything was able to work together, and they were able to secure a first place win at the competition.

There are more performances that you can watch on the same channel, and they all show the great creativity and energy of bhangra teams. Hopefully it makes you want to join them and dance too!

As I have mentioned before, I have been involved in bhangra in some manner since I was about 5 years old. I have learned many of the different moves, starting from a beginner level and working myself up to an advanced level. When I was in elementary and middle school, I would be a part of the local team at the gurudwara, the local place of worship for Sikhs. We would compete in small competitions or simply put on performances at different events. When high school rolled around, I wasn’t able to keep up with all of the events, but I still enjoyed dancing around my house and watching the performances. Now, I’m in college, and I am able to pick it up again. Maybe not at this exact moment since we’re all in quarantine, but I have enjoyed getting back into the dance over the past year. It has many differences compared to what I remembered in my earlier years of dancing that I would like to share.

It’s a fun environment to get involved with. At the college level, we are students that are solely responsible for all of the logistics of the team. Before, I was responsible solely for myself and learning my own choreography. Now, it is a greater team effort. As a team, we all make sure everybody is understanding what they must do whether it is choreography or formations. Of course, we have leaders and mentors that set the goals for the team, but we all work together to make sure we are doing our best.

It is also interesting to consider that we are all students who come to college for the primary purpose of obtaining a higher level of education, but we can still get involved in dancing with others. We can still uniquely come up with choreography sets, new tricks, new moves, new music mixes, and much more. We can still remain connected to our culture or learn something about a new culture through bhangra.

The preparation of the dance season will begin before the summer begins. In April and May, teams may still be competing, but they will also be preparing for the next year. In this preparation, teams will choose captains and other leadership positions for the organization. Once established, we will compile music and songs that we want to include in the official mix, and we create a mix to base our choreography off of. Captains will begin creating the choreography, sometimes with input from the team. Usually, by the start of the academic year, the team will have majority of the choreography established. It is now a matter of teaching it to the rest of the team and creating formations for the set. Throughout the year, college teams will typically meet about 3-4 times a week to practice or go over logistics. Our practices are typically around 2 hours each day; however, if necessary we may continue for longer periods of time. For competitions, there will be times where we may meet every day of the week and repetitively practice our choreography until we feel it’s perfectly executed. In terms of logistics, we want to make sure that we have enough performances that spreads the awareness of the dance. We also want to grow our team as big as possible. While there may be only about 8-14 dancers on the stage, the team is often much bigger than that. This is the general cycle and experience of what college bhangra looks like. Different teams will have different specific approaches, but it is important and interesting to note that it is all done by students.

Currently, we’re all most likely sitting in our houses urging to get out and do something besides just sitting. We can’t go to our favorite restaurants, shops, and even the gym. Without the gym, we find ourselves trying to think of our own workout routines that we can do at home. We may have a couple weight sets or a treadmill in our houses, but its nothing compared to what we can find at a gym. We want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and not gain too much from just lounging. Well, I have an option that might help you with that. Do some bhangra!

Dancing as a whole is a great exercise that helps your whole body. There are so many different styles of dance, and they all have different levels of energy involved. Bhangra is known to be a high intensity dance that coordinates multiple movements. This will ensure that you get a proper full body workout. You will get a great cardio warmup as you dance the different moves. Some moves will be fast paced which will make you tired faster while other moves allow for a quick breather as they are not as intense. When you put all of your effort into the dance, you will maximize your heart beats and you will feel even more energized.

As I started to learn the dance, I was surprised to hear that you can even target certain parts of the body while dancing. As you move you shoulders and arms repetitively, you will be working out different muscles in the upper body. This can mimic a light weights session since you are constantly moving those arms around. Furthermore, you can work out your lower body from the constant jumping and leg turns you will learn. From personal experience, if you continually do the style of jumps that bhangra dancers do, your legs will be begging for you to stop. You can go beyond these basics of the dance exercise too. If you choose, you can contract the muscles in your back. The muscles will be more engaged, and it can also help with the appearance of the dance. Beyond the back muscles, you can tone your core as well. Keeping these muscles engaged will allow you to flow into consecutive moves much more smoothly. It not only helps with the appearance of the dance, it can also help with you posture. Engaging both the back and core muscles, you stand taller. Bhangra is all about making yourself look big and energetic which can be accomplished by engaging these muscles. Lastly, you can also build on your coordination and focus through practice of this dance. The music is very coordinated and all of the beats are enunciated in the songs. Because of this, you can work on your coordination by making each move you execute match up to each beat of a song.

This idea of dancing and performing bhangra isn’t something new. In fact, there are already groups and gyms that hold workshops. I mentioned in my previous post that there numerous bhangra workshops across the country, and these focus on the true style of the dance. Some other organizations have opened up shops to encourage physical activity in a fun way. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start exercising!

As I sit in my room, quarantined from the rest of the world, I have spent a lot more time on the internet browsing through some random content. I’ll keep exploring and exploring, and I often find myself back or eventually searching something about bhangra. Lately, I have become more interested in the culture that has formed in the United States and how the competitions have taken shape here. I have been looking at multiple videos of bhangra competitions in the past few years, and I wondered how it became formalized and organized like this. Bhangra was traditionally a small affair in towns and villages, and now, we see the world dancing!

In the start of the 90s, college students began to band together and form bhangra teams. The students simply wanted to form a community where they felt they could have fun dancing together. Soon enough however, this began to spread across the nation. Teams began popping up at numerous colleges with big South Asian populations. Beyond the South Asian community, all communities were excited by the dance and some joined the teams too. Originally, there were a few teams that would simply perform at local cultural events as exhibitions. When the growth of teams swept the nation, there began to be competitions popping across the country as well.

The first bhangra collegiate competition to start in the United States is Bhangra Blowout. Formed in 1993, a group of Indians at The George Washington University decided to create a space for students on these bhangra teams to showcase their talent. Similar to running a business, the competition organizers had to coordinate multiple components of the competition including lodging, funding, sponsorships, and ultimately teams. In the beginning, it was a local community effort. As it started to grow and word began to spread, more teams began to form and compete as well. The competition has been running for 27 years now and is considered to be one of the biggest South Asian events. People from around the country and the world will come to watch the competition and cheer on the teams.

More competitions were organized across the nation, and teams were able to continue their expression of happiness and joy through bhangra on numerous stages. To be able to do this is very exciting for college students. They are able to stay connected to their culture or be introduced to a new culture. Furthermore, they dedicate a lot of time and effort to dancing, and it feels exhilarating to finally show this time and effort to the world. Teams will often have practices 3-4 days a week for 2 hours each day. A few weeks before competitions, practices may jump to 6 days a week and might be longer.

Beyond collegiate and independent teams, there has also been a spark in dance classes and workshops centered around the bhangra dance style. Indian studios have been opening up to teach younger generations about the dance in hopes that they will keep the spirit alive. Some pre-existing dance organizations have also incorporated some elements of bhangra into their style as well. Ultimately, bhangra has spread across the nation. Whether you are at a college campus or in a city, look for bhangra events. Chances are, you’ll find something.

Currently, I am sitting with my headphones on listening to some Punjabi music, and I just have the urge to get up and start dancing. Perhaps after this post, I may be able to do so. My music shuffles from one song to another spanning many different kinds of Punjabi songs. Some are slow tempo, but still have a modern and contemporary style of beat. Others are very traditional sounding with pure instruments and no electronic musical components. Between each song that I listen through, there is a quite a shift in the tones, moods, and meanings.

This is perfectly indicative of the shifts that music in Bhangra has experienced. The root of these shifts can be attributed to the general globalization and spread of Bhangra around the world. As I have discussed in a few of my previous posts, the original music was very traditional. It reflected the traditional lifestyles of the Punjabi farmers. They used the songs as a form of entertainment, and it spread throughout the local villages. The farmers would create lyrics based on their daily tasks, family lives, and occasionally, there would be the romantic song as well. The farmers were mostly male, so they were not the most emotional with their songs. As girls began to write songs themselves, there was an increase in the romantic styles of songs. These songs consisted of lyrics referred to as “boliyan”, and they would only be accompanied by a dhol, a double sided drum to set the beat of the music.

Bhangra became popular in the start of the 20th century. In the early 1900s, the music had spread across the country from Punjab and gained popularity. It wasn’t growing internationally just yet due to several new music being introduced in the western world such as jazz. Moving into the 1950s and 60s, there was a great migration of Punjabis moving to the UK. They were mostly male, and they moved with their relatives and friends in groups of 10-20. The hope was that they would be able to find jobs and be able to provide for their families back home by returning after a few years. However, while they are there, they began to miss home. They began to miss all aspects of the culture from food to the music. In order to hone in on that culture, the Punjabis began singing and dancing in small groups. Eventually, they began to formalize and meet in bigger groups. They would also begin to perform at numerous public events such as community celebrations.

It was at this moment that people on a completely different continent began to hear the amazing beat of Bhangra. They began to spread this beat across the country, and it started changing slightly. Some argue in a better way that keeps up with the changing world while others wish it would remain traditional. Regardless, the music became more contemporary and the dhol beat would be paired with other instruments. It was further introduced into movies, and then music videos began to be created with Punjabi music. Now, the Bhangra and Punjabi music you hear is now a compilation of several styles such as the traditional Bhangra, hip-hop, rap, and more. All of this together still produces a unique style of Punjabi music.

In my previous post, I discussed the musical instruments that have been used in bhangra for years. These instruments add to the musical art by setting the beat or tone. They also add a nice accompaniment to the boliyan (lyrics) of the singers. There are more instruments used, but these ones that you’ll learn about today aren’t necessarily music producing. These are props that the dancers themselves use to add to the flair and style of bhangra on stage. In the dance routines, you will often see three props incorporated in the set, and they are: khunda, saap, and kato/kaato.

A khunda is essentially a stick, approximately 5 feet long, that is hooked at one of the ends. It looks similar to a cane. In fact, that is what people would traditionally use it as. Punjabi farmers would roam their fields with this walking stick, and it became incorporated into bhangra from the fields. Furthermore, it has been said to be a symbol of pride and brought respect to their farms. Nowadays, dance teams have been caught under fire for stepping away from the use of traditional khunda. Sometimes, you may see performances where the dancers just use long sticks made from pipes or cheap wood. With the instrument itself, dancers have multiple different maneuvers that they perform with the stick. General movements with the khunda include swaying from side to side, holding it vertically out on the dancer’s side, or having it lay against their shoulder.

Khunda:

In Use:

The saap is perhaps my favorite instrument of the three because it is a lot of fun to use in a set. It is a wooden instrument with multiple individual pieces of wood that are held together with bolts and screws. It is arranged together so the dancer can open and close the two ends. This leads to a clapping noise being produced from the prop. As the dancers open and close the saap, they attempt to match the claps with the beat of the music. It adds to the intensity of high-energy segments of dances. Historically, the instrument was actually used to scare away crows in the fields. It has also been considered in being a symbol for a thunderous mood as rain approaches the fields of Punjab. The loud noise produced by the saap is most closely attributed to this idea of thunder.

Saap:

In Use:

The last prop popularly used is the kato/kaato, another wooden instrument. It is composed of a wooden block that sits upon a wooden stick that is approximately 30 inches tall. The block on top has a flap in the front as well as an extended piece in the back. These extra pieces are attached to a string so that when they are pulled, the front flap snaps up and the tail swings out. The instrument is meant to mimic the actions of a squirrel. Kato/kaato literally means squirrel in Punjabi, but in a broader sense, it and the instrument stand for an expression of happiness of joy. When looking at it, the front flap is the mouth of the squirrel which shut when the rope is pulled. The back flap is the tail of the squirrel and extends outwards when pulled.

Kato/Kaato:

In Use (with additional, personal elements added):

 

I always enjoy dancing with these props because they add a unique flair to the dance. Whenever any audience sees us use these instruments, they always get very excited which most beautifully represents the purpose of bhangra spreading joy.

 

 

When you talk to people about bhangra, there can be two ways the conversation may take place. One, you may talk about the dance itself and the art it presents on stage with people moving around in perfectly choreographed ways. Or, you could also be discussing the music. Bhangra is not simply considered a dance, but it also includes the musical style that accompanies the dance. The music as i have mentioned before takes many different shapes and forms. It can be very solemn and moving; it can be powerful and prideful. There are numerous emotions made from bhangra music. It all comes down to the execution of the style. The music also holds historical significance, and as many other components of bhangra, it has transformed over the years as well.

Originally, people would dance to the beat of a drum known as the dhol. This is perhaps the most famous musical instrument, and it is truly the one instrument that the dancers will follow along with. The dhol is shaped different from what you may consider a normal drum. It is more of an elongated barrel that can be struck on both ends. One end is composed of a thicker material that is stretched across the side, and it will produce a lower frequency sound. The other end has a thinner material stretched which helps produce a higher frequency sound. The drummer will wear it around their shoulders or neck, and they will use two special wooden sticks to play. One stick is a thicker, heavier stick that is struck on the thicker side to create the bass sound. The other is thinner, lighter, and flexible. It is to be used on the lighter side. The music is very loud and “hard-hitting”, so the drummer will often play during the powerful sections of choreography. These styles include dhammal and jhummar which are the energetic and grand movements. Nowadays, when teams perform on stage, they may choose to have a dhol drummer accompany them and drum along the beat of the pre-recorded music.

Dhol player on stage:

Another folk instrument that is used is called tumbi. This is a string instrument that is made of a wooden stick that stands upon a hollow gourd shell. Along the wood and to the gourd is a singular string that is plucked repetitively. It will provide a rhythmic accompaniment to the beat set by the dhol and the lyrics sung by the vocalist. The last instrument I will mention is called the chimta. This is made of two long pieces of metal that have brass rings attached along the two sides. Put together, it will look like tongs, and these are struck together to clash the rings that produce music. It is very commonly heard in Punjabi folk music as well as Sikh religious music. Along with the dhol player, you may also see a person on the side of the stage dancing with the chimta as well. This dancer will often mimic the leg movements of the rest of the dancers while the hands play the instrument.

Chimta:

Of course accompanying all of these instruments and more is the lyrics themselves. In Punjabi, we refer to them as boliyan, and they hold great significance in the words. The meaning will set the tone for how the dance will be performed. The coordination of the lyrics, music, and dance will often tell the audience a story with powerful emotions.

There is much more that adds to the dance, and that includes the instruments/props used by dancers themselves which is what I will share with you next time!

 

 

If you watch bhangra performances anywhere and everywhere, chances are you will be mesmerized by the colors that are moving around stage. These colors move in such synchrony and coordination, its like you’re watching a master artist paint with multiple paints. On stage, this happens with the dancers and their attire. The dancers are dressed in traditional clothing called vardiyaan. This style has been passed down for generations, and while it has been modified and updated to “match the trends”, it still appeals to traditional values.

Men and women wear different pieces of clothing with some similarities, but the two styles play with each other especially when the two are together, next to each other on stage. The men’s main clothing consists of the following pieces; chadra, kurta, jugi, and pagh. A chadra is a long piece of cloth that is tied around the waist and covers the bottom half of male dancers. It is tied strategically so that the legs of the dancer are not too constricted to showcase the big energetic moves, while still properly covering the whole bottom. This cloth is worn all over India as a very comfortable, mobile style. Due to heavy modernization, the chadra will often be worn in agricultural regions or just intimate family moments at home. The kurta is a long shirt that will stretch to the knees. This a very popular, traditional piece of clothing that is worn at many special occasions. Again, this clothing stretches across India, but many regions will have their own signature styles. Over top of the kurta is a jugi which is a vest with no buttons. The pagh is the headpiece, also known as the turban. This reflects the heavy emphasis of Sikh ties to the dance in covering one’s head; however, the pagh worn normally are tied differently from the pagh for dancing. On the pagh you may notice another accessory known as the torla. This is folded like a fan and tied into the pagh as well.

The women’s main clothing pieces consist of the following; salwar, kurta/kameez, jugi, and dupatta. As you can see, there are several pieces that are similar such as the kurta and jugi. The fitting is slightly different for the kurta which is also referred to as a kameez for women. The jugi also fits differently, and they may have strings attached to them to be tied together. The differences comes from the bottom half covering and head covering as well. A salwar is trouser pants that are loose fitting and may give a baggy appearance. This adds to the effects of the moves as the dancer is able to move more freely, and it exaggerates the movements by “flailing” around. The dupatta, also called a chunni, is a scarf that is elegantly draped over a women’s head. To ensure that it stays in place, it is pinned to the kurta and jugi. The combination of the salwar kameez is also very popular to traditionally wear in different settings in India and Pakistan. Many women may wear just the salwar while lounging, and they may wear more elegant styles of both the salwar and kameez to formal events.

There are also many accessories that compliment the attire. Some elements include jewelry by the names of jhumke (earring) and kainthe/taveet (necklaces). These are very elegant and small additions that bring more attention to the dancers face and their expressions. Furthermore, there is also an accessory called rumaalan which are small handkerchiefs that are tied to the dancer’s fingers. This helps in showcasing hand motions, especially those that are quite complex, much more evidently. I discussed all of the different pieces that go into a bhangra dancers attire, but keep in mind that all of these work together and create the unison of the person and the whole team on stage as well. When I put everything on, I feel a greater sense of pride because I am able to represent something that is greater than just me. I am prideful in my culture, and this is just one way bhangra exudes its traditional emphasis.

Previously, I made mention to the complexities that create bhangra. Bhangra has become known as one, major popular dance form, but it stands for more than one dance. It is an amalgamation of numerous styles that each have their own story of development. Different regions of Punjab had their own unique interpretations of the songs and dances, and as a result, there were different styles and moves created in each region. After time, people began to get together and celebrate the bigger events and holidays. They shared their stories of bhangra, and they taught each other their own moves. There was a community being formed through the dance. Examples of the different styles that I will discuss include Sammi and Jhummar. There are many more styles involved, but the two I will mention today are among the popular styles that hold the greatest story in terms of its history.

Sammi is a traditional part of bhangra that is traditionally performed by women. It originated in West Punjab, and women would gather and perform Sammi at personal, joyous moments such as weddings and child births. The style was rumored to have vanished from bhangra due to historical tensions between India and Pakistan. However, in the 90s and early 2000s as the dance became more international, Sammi was brought back into the light. The original, folk manner of dancing consists of a girl singing in the middle of a circle as dancers around her sway along with the beat. The lyrics of the songs revolve around the theme of love and romance, and this is then translated into the dance as well with the swaying. However, swaying in this context does not mean a light side-to-side motion. The dancers would move their legs in a hopping manner, and at the same time their arms would wave around their body. The unique identity of this dance is the circular manner of movement, and it’s also iconic how the arms swing across the body in clapping manner. The key element and significance of this is the unity of the body movements with the melody of the music.

Jhummar is another very traditional move, but this is associated historically with masculinity. Men would perform this style as an expression of their happiness. The exact choreography is very similar to that of Sammi. There is swaying involved with this too, but it is not as energetic. There is not much hopping involved, and the arms don’t move across the body either. In this style, dancers form a circle around a drummer, and they move around in a circular motion. The actual choreography involves the legs moving forward and backward. One foot at a time, dancers extend their foot out diagonally and switch between the two. The arms would often remain above the head and the wrists would flick with the beat of the drum. Sometimes, only one arm would remain above the head, and the other would rest on the hip. Then, the dancers would switch arms after every beat or two. This is personally my favorite style because of the elegance it has in the moves, and when coordinated with all dancers, it can look very powerful!

Again, these are only two of many styles that make the whole dance of bhangra. They are elegantly choreographed moves, and they hold great significance to the dance as well. Another significant point of bhangra is the clothing worn by the dancers. From the pictures I post, you may have noticed the colorful elements as well as the accessories on the clothes. Next week, I will discuss in further detail what each of the elements are and a little on their history too.

Are you guys excited to get up on your feet and dance? Ready to feel high-intensive energy in your body and dance it out? Then, welcome back to my blog about the Punjabi dance form, bhangra.

Today, we are going to start with a little bit of history, how did bhangra originate? As I have said, bhangra grew in the area of Punjab in India and Pakistan. It is a folk-dance that was very traditional and rooted in several beliefs and ideals. While it is seen as a traditional dance form, it has changed and incorporated several new techniques, celebrations, and has become a very inclusive and diverse dance form. In much of the India and Pakistan region, there is a festival that celebrates the harvest in spring. This festival is called Vaisakhi, and it commemorates many events such as the Punjabi New Year, the founding of Sikhism, and the start of the harvest. As a result of the focus on the harvest and Punjab being a hugely agricultural area, the spread through the villages since the beginning. It was a very popular dance among Punjabi farmers, and it spread across the fields of Punjab. Years ago, around the 1800s, many families and townsfolk would gather together in the fields and perform bhangra. Some got into big groups and choreographed it while others would just freestyle to the beat of the drums, called the dhol. The traditional and more popular manner was to meet in groups and dance in a circular formation.

Transitioning into the early 1900s, it became more popular for groups and teams to form. They would be asked to perform at special occasions, where festivals and events were held. At first, male teams would popularly form and be asked by kings, politicians, and other famous people to dance at their receptions. Soon, females would join together and create their own official teams as well. They grew in popularity too, and they brought a different style of bhangra to the stage, giddha. Giddha had already existed but was often practiced in local settings. The style was performed by ladies only. It presented the same high level of energy as bhangra, but it also incorporated elements of elegance and flexibility.

The dance would continue to develop and expand across the country and the world. Increased acclaim and fame introduced competitions to India and Pakistan. In 1950, colleges would create dance teams, and they would compete with one another seeing who could execute the coordination, elegance, and intensity the best on the stage. Teams would bring their creativity to the stage whether with props or choreography. They increased the scope of bhangra, but it didn’t take away from the traditions and originality that defined it in the first place.

Regardless of when people danced or how they danced, everyone enjoyed it! As they continued their work in the fields, they would dance along the way, making their job much more enjoyable. As they met at social gatherings, they would dance the night away. Hopefully, now you have a strong urge to get up and dance! Tune-in next time to hear about the styles of dance that make up bhangra now.