Learn how to dance bhangra
History — Learn Bhangra
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Bhangra is an energetic, folk dance and music form that originated from Punjab, India. Today, it’s the newest dance, music, and fitness phenomenon spreading all over the world. Bhangra has made its way to America’s Got Talent, the London Olympics, and even the White House.
HISTORY OF BHANGRA
THE BEGINNING OF BHANGRA
The first mentions of Bhangra as a dance entity start to show up in historical records around the late-1800s. The current style and form of Bhangra formed together in the 1940s and has evolved since. It originated as a folk dance celebrated during the time of the harvest. Bhangra is traditionally danced to the dhol instrument, a large drum, and boliyan, short sets of lyrics that describe scenes or stories from Punjab. These lyrics most commonly reference themes of love, patriotism, strength, and celebration.
THE REGIONAL CONNECTION
Bhangra is an amalgamation of various folk dances from all across the region of Punjab, many of which can trace their roots far back before the existence of the term Bhangra in the late 1800s. These dances include Sammi, Jhummar, Luddi, Giddha, Dhamaal, Sialkot, and many more.
For example, Sialkoti developed in the region of Sialkot, and is performed with one leg in the air. Jhummar, from Jhang-Sial, can arguably be traced back to the Aryan period and consists of a 16-beat dhol cycle. Sammi is a dance specifically dedicated to singing about a fabled girl. In the 1940s, communication between villages and regions in Punjab sharply increased due to independence movements across the area. As a result, due to several celebrated dance pioneers, these dances were shared, both in times of celebration and to ease in times of hardship. Each region quickly adapted the shared dance forms into their own folk traditions. Eventually, a standard Bhangra routine across Punjab came to consist of certain components, such as a Jhummar segment, or a Dhamaal segment. Due to the exponential rise in communication in Punjab and across India, Bhangra spread throughout the country. The Bollywood industry began to depict Bhangra in its movies while celebrated Bhangra pioneers emerged to actively spread and share the dance form.
As a result, Bhangra music is now quite mainstream throughout India, and throughout the world!
HISTORY OF BHANGRA
BHANGRA VARDIYAAN
You may have taken note of the dancers' extremely colorful Bhangra uniforms/outfits, or vardiyaan, during the performance. The vardiyaan not only emphasize the visual effect of Bhangra moves, but they also are designed to enable the dancer's maximum range of motion. In other words, the vardiyaan are the perfect combination of aesthetics and mobility. Today, men and women typically have a tendency to wear different vardiyaan while performing Bhangra.
ELEMENTS OF THE VARDIYAAN
Men tend to wear a chadr, a kurta, a vest, and a pagh, while women wear a salwar, a kurta, a vest, and a chunni. The chadr is the bottom half of the outfit, and consists of a long, rectangular piece of unstitched cloth tied around the dancer's waist. It covers the majority of the dancer's legs and is strategically tied so as to prevent the cloth from restricting the dancer's movement.
The female complement to the chadr is the salwar. The salwar consists of loose fitting trouser pants with numerous pleats stitched into the fabric. In contrast to the chadr, the salwar covers the dancer's leg completely. The trousers are stitched so that when the dancer performs high-knee and leg-lifting steps, the pleats artfully hang to mimic the effect and coverage of the chadr. However, there are some women that do wear a chadr, kurta, and/or pagh while performing Bhangra.
The kurta is common to both types of vardiyaan. The kurta is a long-sleeved tunic that comes down to approximately the dancer's knees, or just above them. The sleeveless vest is worn over the kurta. Both the kurta and chadr are colorful, and display heavily embroidered intricate designs.
The pagh and chunni are head coverings that reflect the Sikh religion that is predominant in the state of Punjab. Culturally, head coverings are common as well. They are a symbol of pride, humility, fortitude, and respect.
The Bhangra pagh is a long piece of cloth that is intricately wrapped around the dancer's head, culminating in a heavily, starched, pleated fan (turla) that crowns the whole turban. The chunni is a colorful scarf that is artfully draped around a woman's head and pinned to her kurta and vest. There are many other aspects to the vardiyaan as well. Not limited to just jewelry, these consist of various accent pieces that serve to enhance specific elements of a Bhangra routine. For example, earrings and necklaces (i.e. jhumke, kainthe, taveet) draw attention to a dancer's facial expressions. Rumaalan, or handkerchiefs, were traditionally tied around a dancer's wrist to highlight their complex hand movements. All parts of the vardiyaan complement the dance in that each element has origins steeped in meaning, symbolism, and purpose.
HISTORY OF BHANGRA
DHOL
Perhaps the most famous Bhangra instrument is the dhol.
It is a double-sided barrel drum that creates the beat to which Bhangra is danced to. The person who plays the instrument, the dholi, plays various beats to create the different Bhangra segments, such as Dhamaal, Jhummar, One side of the dhol has thicker skin, which creates a deeper sound, and the other side has a thinner skin, resulting in a higher-pitched sound. Two sticks are used to play the dhol instrument. The thicker stick, called the dagga, is used to play the bass side. The thinner tilli is used to play the treble side. Both sticks are usually made of wood or bamboo.
ALGOZEY
Algozey resemble two wooden flutes that are played simultaneously, with the artist using three fingers on each side. The music created by the algozey can be classified as more rhythmic than melodic in nature. The tumbi is a small stringed instrument. It consists of a small wooden stick attached to a hollow, gourd-like shell to create its acoustics. It only has one string that is continuously plucked to create a rhythm that accompanies the dhol and boliyan.
CHIMTA
The chimta functions as a large pair of metallic tongs. Each side of the tongs has bells attached that chime loudly when the sides are struck together. The chimta player can either accompany the other instrumentalists or dance with the Bhangra dancers while simultaneously playing the instrument.
DHAD
The dhad is a much smaller, high-pitched drum. It is also double-sided, but its body is shaped like an hourglass. The dhad is unusual in that you only beat one of its sides with your hand. The other hand squeezes a cord around the middle of the instrument that manipulates the pitch of the sound of the dhad as it is beaten.
KATOS
Katos are used by Bhangra dancers during a routine - the shape of the instrument's body mimics that of a squirrel. It consists of a long stick with a wooden block resting on top. The wooden block has a flap that is the squirrel's "head," and a tail. Both the head and the tail have strings coming down, that when pulled, causes the flap to snap up and the tail to swing up.
These strings are pulled in time to the beat.
SAAPS | SHIKKE
Saaps or shikke are also used by Bhangra dancers. It is a wooden instrument consisting of small X-shaped parts that expand and contract. As you use both hands to play the instrument, it produces a loud clapping sound that is meant to sound like thunder. The khunda is a long, heavy, decorated bamboo stick. It is maneuvered in various ways by Bhangra dancers during a typical routine.
HISTORY OF BHANGRA
BHANGRA MUSIC
The huge Punjabi diaspora has spread Bhangra across the world. It has now become mainstream enough where Bhangra influences can sometimes be seen in Western pop/hip-hop music. Bhangra music became extremely popular in the United Kingdom. Its enormous Punjabi population first combined traditional Bhangra rhythms with Western music. Bhangra music and Punjabi culture became prevalent in Bollywood cinema as well, especially during scenes of jubilation.
BHANGRA TEAMS
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Bhangra teams began cropping up in the United States and Canada. Colleges and universities comprised a significant portion of these Bhangra teams, although a large number of independent teams and academies were also well established. Eventually a competitive circuit developed, and exclusive Bhangra competitions were held across North America. This competitive circuit experienced a high spike in popularity around 2006. With this growth came the development of various trends that pushed the boundaries of Bhangra. Bhangra music routines started incorporating a significant number of Western influences and beats, many hybrid moves were invented, and gimmicks started becoming essential to winning competitions. Another landmark moment came with the creation of all-girls Bhangra teams in a traditionally male-dominated dance form.
Evolution of Bhangra
With such an immense amount of evolution in such a short amount of time, controversy has frequently sparked in the Bhangra circuit.
There are some who believe the boundaries of the dance have been pushed too far and push for dancers to return the dance to its more traditional roots. Others believe that, as Bhangra has already changed so much throughout the course of its history, it should be allowed to continue to develop naturally and without restriction. There is much gray area in this debate, but the result is a rich diversity in Bhangra throughout the world. Teams take pride in their individual style, whether they consider themselves modern, traditional, in between, or neither, and many competitions cater toward particular styles. However, no matter the style, all Bhangra dancers agree that Bhangra is a dance of strength, power, energy and grace. In the midst of the self-discipline needed to complete a full routine comes a feeling of complete freedom and passion that encourages the circuit to evolve and thrive.
HISTORY OF BHANGRA
BHANGRA COMPETITIONS
Bhangra competitions are one of the most exciting parts of modern-day Bhangra.
Today, competitions occur all over the world and celebrate not only the culture and traditions of Punjab, but also something more universal - joy, strength, and pride. As Bhangra evolved into what it is known as today, it experienced a variety of different audiences. It grew from a dance performed in individual villages to an art celebrated at fairs and festivals, or melas, across Punjab. When it reached a national audience, Bhangra turned into a symbol of the culture and heritage of Punjab.
COMPETITIONS OVER TIME
Competitions, however, only started cropping up around the 1960s. In this decade, colleges across Punjab began forming local teams and sending them to perform at competitions. Some of the early college teams of note include DAV College (Jalandhar) and Khalsa College (Amritsar). Bhangra competitions steadily grew in popularity and are still prominent in Punjab today. As Bhangra music became popular in the Punjabi diaspora, competitions slowly began cropping up internationally, such as in North America, the UK, and Australia.
Today, Bhangra competitions are held all over the world for all age groups. Children’s Bhangra competitions are also growing to be increasingly popular. Internationally, Bhangra competitions are not restricted to college teams and many independent academies and teams compete regularly. One of the first collegiate competitions, Bhangra Blowout, was hosted in 1993 by The George Washington University in Washington D.C.
COMPETITIVE PERFORMANCES
Originally, competitions consisted of teams dancing on live music, always including at least a singer and a dhol player, or dholi. These teams usually consist of 8 dancers. Live dancing is still the predominant style of Bhangra competitions in India. However, the popularity of dancing to recorded music routines has skyrocketed in the rest of the world. Many international competitions today use judging rubrics that specifically cater to teams that perform to recorded music. In contrast, other competitions develop rubrics that reward elements emphasized in live music routines.
Others involve combinations of the two. Universally, however, all Bhangra competition exhibit sets of highly energetic, rigorous routines. Internationally, this has created a rich spectrum of Bhangra teams with an enormous diversity of styles.
Global Classes — Learn Bhangra
Learn Bhangra hosts classes on a regular basis all around the world. If you're interested in becoming a certified instructor and teaching classes, please click here.
New York | RDU | los angeles | ATlANTA | chandigarh | liverpool | Dubai | hong kong | Chicago | alberta | LA PLATA | BUENOS AIRES
Learn Bhangra Adult Live and Virtual Workshops on Wednesdays (English)Wednesdays at 7:30 PM EST | 12:30 Am UK | 6:00 Am IST
Classes will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM EST. Students may attend classes live in-studio or virtually. The location of the studio is at:
L.
A. Dance Studio
100 Dominion Dr #111
Morrisville, NC 27560
To register to attend classes in-person, click the Sign Up: Live Classes button below.
To register for the virtual classes, click the Sign Up: Virtual Classes button below.
Learn Bhangra Youth Class series on Saturdays (english)saturdays from 12:30 - 1:30pm EST
These classes are live and in-person. Students will be broken up into 3 levels upon registration.
Students will be expected to record videos every ~3 weeks to measure progress, give them something to look forward to, and keep them engaged. We need the parents' support to help with the recordings!
Elementary: Saturdays 11AM-12PM
Elementary/Middle & Middle Only: Saturdays 12PM-2PM
High School: Fridays 5PM-7PM & Sundays 9AM-12PM
Location
L.
A. Dance
100 Dominion Dr #111
Morrisville, NC 27560
Contact [email protected] for costs and registration information.
dubai Bhangra Classes WITH sara khippalSATURDAYS FROM 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
mad about dance studio, centrepoint shopping mall, m floor
next to burjaman, dubai
Sara Khippal, of Pure Bhangra, will be teaching Bhangra classes for ladies in Dubai on Saturdays from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.
To register for classes, contact: 055 107 3999.
HONG KONG Bhangra Classes WITH HARRY BAATH and navanpreet sranadult classes tuesdays from 7 to 8pm;
adult classes fridays from 7:30 to 8:30PM;
kid classes saturdays from 5 to 6pm
tuesday adult classes: Rm 1101A, 11/F, Sun Cheong industrial building, 2 to 4 cheung yee street, lai chi kok. mtr exit a.
Adult classes will be held every Tuesday from 7PM to 8PM.
Friday adult classes: fitness in motion, shop 105, 9 yi tung road, t-bay tung chung, hong kong
Adult classes will be held every Friday from 7:30PM to 8:30PM
To enroll, please visit the following website: https://www.fitnessinmotionhk.com/fitness-in-motion-services/
Kid classes: Rm 1101A, 11/F, Sun Cheong industrial building, 2 to 4 cheung yee street, lai chi kok. mtr exit a.
Kid classes will be held every Saturday from 5PM to 6PM.
For additional information, contact [email protected].
New york Bhangra classes with silky kadakia and juhi launganiWeekly classes AND MONTHLY WORKSHOPS
lOCATION: MIDTOWN WEST NEW YORK
Silky Kadakia and Juhi Laungani will be teaching Bhangra classes in Midtown West New York. For location and timing updates:
Follow @learnbhangranewyork on Instagram
Email [email protected]
Thursdays from 6:00PM-7:00PM GMT/UK time
Classes are held via zoom
Kinga Malec will be teaching online classes via Zoom.
Classes are open to students globally.
To register for classes, please email [email protected]
atlanta bhangra classes with kishan bhutSaturdays and sundays - various timings
gleaming event hall | 2560 peachtree pkway, cummings, Ga 30041
Kishan Bhut, Learn Bhangra's Certified Atlanta Instructor, teaches Adult and Kids Bhangra classes on Saturdays and Sundays.
Saturdays: 8am - 12pm
Sundays: 7:30am - 5pm
For class registration information, please visit www.gabhangra.com/registration.
Los angeles bhangra classes with katrina jithursdays from 8:30pm to 9:30pm
Mid city arts center | 1644 S La Cienega blvd, los angeles, ca 90035
Katrina Ji will be teaching Adult classes in Los Angeles on Thursdays from 8:30PM to 9:30PM. Classes start on September 16th, 2021.
To register, please visit www.
cultureshakti.com
Coming soon
Dalwinder Kalay, the founder of Airforce Bhangra Club, will be teaching classes in Cold Lake, Alberta.
Chandigarh bhangra classes with ishpreet singhComing Soon
Flexit gym | SCO-4, Sec-26, Chandigarh
Ishpreet Singh will be teaching classes in Chandigarh. Stay tuned for class information.
For more information, please contact 8558008481 or email [email protected].
Chicago bhangra classes with amrita randhawacoming soon
Amrita Randhawa will be teaching classes in Chicago. Stay tuned for class information.
la plata & Buenos Aires bhangra classes with karina amadocoming soon
Karina Amado, the Director of Indostan Escuela de Danzas de India de La Plata, will be teaching classes in La Plata & Buenos Aires.
Stay tuned for class information.
For more information, email Karina at [email protected].
Indian Dances - Learn Indian Dances
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India is a country that has a rich culture. There are various unique states. Each state has its own culture which can be seen in their dress, language, food and folk dance. Yes, there are different types of Indian folk dances. Each state has its own interesting folk dances. But, there are some dances for 5 year olds that are more popular and famous. Some of these dances are bhangra, kathak, kathakali, bharatnatyam, lavani and garba. But to the most popular types of Indian dance, known all over the world, and presented in almost all Indian films - Bollywood dance. Therefore, if you want to dance easily, go to Indian dances. nine0003
Via Classes.
An easy way to learn the proper style of Indian dance is to sign up for dance lessons. Now, depending on your choice, you can choose a specific type of dance.
There are various types of Indian folk dance. Kathak is a type of Indian traditional dance in which there are fast feet and lots of spins. There is a Kathakali in which the dancer will wear a flamboyant costume and makeup. It reflects history through dance and has many expressions. Bharatnatyam is a dance in which the story is depicted through dance movements. nine0003
These were some popular South Indian dance forms. One of the most popular Indian dances that is known all over the world is Bhangra. It is popular in north india and quite fun to learn. Other popular classical dances are Garba, Dekhni, Manipuri and Gumar. Gumar is a form of Rajasthani dance in which women pick flowers from their colorful skirts. Manipuri uses subtle movements and the costumes are quite distinct. Dekhni is a popular Goan folk dance that exists in western Indian dance compositions. nine0003
If you want to learn any form of classical Indian dance then you will need to find a dance teacher near you.
Through Self-Study.
.. If you want to learn Indian dance then the best place to start is with Bollywood dance or Bhangra. But, if you want, you can also try Kathak. These are relatively easy to learn dance styles. So, let's start with the simplest dance steps. Buy video lessons of these dance styles or watch video lessons online. Save video if you want to make a library. Follow basic dance lessons. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and follow the steps in the video tutorial. Preferably, try dancing in a room where you look at yourself in the mirror and the floor is not slippery. nine0003
Practice for 3-4 days these basic steps. Include in the following actions arm and leg movements. Then after 3-4 days download some dance songs for the specific type of dance you are learning. Play music and start dancing with the steps you have learned in these few days. I love to dance, so the movements come even more naturally. This way to learn Indian dance is even better, more by adding new steps to the dance style.
And keep practicing and enjoy dancing with music so you can get really good at Indian dancing. Good luck! In the new year, we light the Christmas trees. nine0003
dance yoga, dance for everyone, how to learn to dance
In order to play beautiful music, a musician needs a well-tuned instrument, and a dancer needs perfect body control.
The content of these classes is the result of studying various branches of Indian dance, yoga techniques, inner search and intensive practice for over 30 years. Most of the people who come to classes of various Indian dance styles are untrained people with little or no knowledge of their own body, music, rhythm. Hence the first difficulties when meeting with such a complex and multifaceted art as Indian dance. So it turns out that much of the material of Indian classics offered by him is inaccessible to them for some time. nine0027 Good news: everyone is practicing. Bad: it costs work, time and patience, therefore, many beginning students are frightened by this long work on themselves and leave the wonderful path of Indian dance without knowing its benefits, because it is impossible to “try out” it in one lesson.
Moreover, the majority of people do not have invaluable qualities: not just to be silent, but to listen, not just to listen, but to hear, not to look formally, but to see, observe and analyze. Most students fail at dance steps, not because they are untalented, but because they are inattentive, unconscious, and unable to learn. nine0003
This class is long overdue.
For many years, Indian dance fans have been asking me the same question: "Where do I start learning dance?" My answer is always laconic and, I'm sure, always disappointing: "with physical education and stretching." However, if you think about it, you will understand that for an ideal dance, the development of plastic skills in dancers, correct posture, development of grace and grace, educational program on the basics of competent stretching, which will not harm invaluable health, is natural and necessary. But that's not all...
The elusive beauty, femininity, inexplicably beautiful and indescribable, which Indian dance attracts to itself is the goal of these lessons, as well as bringing together the movements of the body, soul, mind and spirit.
I see yoga in this.
Body. For a long time in the focus of classes: the study of the body and brain, their capabilities, gentle stretching, the development of coordination, a sense of music, rhythm - all at a slow pace. Accompanied by modern Indian music, we will move in an unhurried rhythm, engage in warm-up, stretching, plasticity of the body, arms, fingers, study simple dance steps of different dance directions, carefully and methodically working out the muscles of the neck, sternum, torso, hips, legs. You will also find a special complex for eyebrows, eyes, facial muscles and exercises to develop, develop, improve the sense of rhythm and musical ear. We will approach the issue of stretching meaningfully and with the necessary adjustment for the individuality of each student. We are waiting for a methodical analysis of yoga practices that allow you to "open" the body without injury. Working out the technique of turns and various penetrations, transitions, working out fluid, "snake" plastics with an emphasis on the expressiveness of the hands, overflows, isolation; as well as work in contrast of speeds, work with space.
Over time, we will begin to work out the complex elements of the dance: backbends, falls, static poses - yoga asanas, work in the stalls, etc.
Reason. This is a class of practice and analysis of the movement that our body is capable of. During the lessons, you will learn how to learn dance in general and in particular, understand it, gradually we will gain body awareness, which is necessary not only in dance, but also in everyday life. Elimination of motional stamps and release from clamps is another goal of the lessons. We will seek the dance of our body.
Soul. Pursuing the art of harmoniously combining body movements with music, we will also discover the space of improvisation in ourselves and find out where the border between the memorized dance and the living dance that originates at the subconscious level passes. Let's touch on the issues of self-expression, the manifestation of emotions, the problems of bodily and emotional clamps, and you will find out that dance can heal.
We will come to understanding ourselves and dance as a way of self-knowledge and communication with the world. nine0003
Spirit. During the lessons we will also touch upon the spiritual and philosophical aspect of dance, we will find the reason for the true beauty of dance and any movement. Together, wonderful discoveries await us on the endless path of knowledge: the surface of this knowledge is simple, the depth is complex, but the path will be mastered by the walking one. From the plasticity of the body, we will gradually move on to the plasticity of the spirit.
Class material - exercises from different dance styles, yoga asanas, invaluable experience of introspection and observation of hundreds of students and dancers who have passed through my school (1996-2020), as well as the knowledge I have accumulated over many years of dancing practice.
The content of the classes is plasticity, spontaneity and improvisation, but one way or another I will introduce you to the individual elements of various plastic arts: pops, locks, shimmy, plastic elements of classical Indian dances Mohiniattam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Manipuri, Indian folk kalbeliya, rajasthani, bhangra, gypsy, bellydance, Indian contemporary or Indian contemporary art of dance, modern jazz, Indian fusion and much, much more - all that contributes to the healing of the body, its responsiveness to music and dance.
nine0003
I will build a set of exercises for each lesson so that, starting from the basics, we can gradually open our body correctly, make it healthy, strong, plastic and gain awareness of movement and dance. Then the music can simply flow through us, and we ourselves will become a dance...
Important!
Classes are addressed to everyone who wants to develop their abilities, regardless of the level of training, to know themselves and discover their inner potential. The class does not pursue the goal of staging a performance, studying composition. If you need a dance number for a performance, then you need a different class from my school. nine0027 I'm waiting for students who are looking for a real dance.
The difficulty level of this class is always 0, and it will always be determined by the arithmetic mean of the preparation of the students present on it. You can join these classes at any time and no special dance experience is necessary, what is important is the love of dance.
