I’m sure many of you around campus have seen the words “JMU Bhangra” written across sweatshirts and T-shirts and wonder, “What in the world does that mean?” I decided to get a firsthand look at this unique organization on campus and ask the president: Chandni Bansal.
Bansal is a junior hospitality management major, currently occupying herself not only with her upcoming senior theme dinner, but also leading and choreographing a whole team of passionate dancers. I was able to ask her a few questions about what Bhangra is and how it has made such an impact on her life.
How would you describe Bhangra?
Bhangra is an Indian folk dance that has many intricate moves, requiring constant movement and a lot of jumps. It is a very energetic dance that incorporates some farming styles that were used in the Punjab region in Southeast Asia. The dance mainly takes place at festivals, celebrations and weddings. It has slowly become popular worldwide and the traditional songs have been mixed with genres such as hip-hop and reggae to create a more modern feel.
When did you personally start Bhangra?
I started Bhangra my sophomore year of high school because I wanted to broaden my knowledge of Indian dances. I used to learn in the basement of my friend’s house. I had been dancing for about eight to nine years before that and I wanted to try something different. When I came to JMU, I jumped at the chance to join an official team and I am so glad I did.
What’s a typical practice like and how often do you do it?
We typically practice at Godwin three times a week for two hours a day. However, if we are practicing for a big performance or competition, we usually practice every day for a week prior to the event. We usually start with a 12-minute warm-up, where we move constantly and repeat different moves to build our endurance. The rest of the time we just spend learning new choreography or formations and perfecting them.
Where do you usually compete?
We typically compete in Virginia for now, but we are hoping to someday perform out of state. Every fall semester we compete at Bhangra Beat, which is a competition at University of Mary Washington against other Virginia colleges such as William & Mary, Virginia Tech and VCU. We also perform for fun at various events around the JMU campus, such as different culture shows, Late Night Breakfasts, and we even did a flash mob to “Gangnam Style” on the Commons.
Click here to watch the JMU Bhangra team at the Punjabi Mela in Richmond!
And come out to support them on March 24, 2013 at the annual ISA Culture Show!