Why yes, my university does have a bhangra team!

On Saturday I went to UIUC Indian Student Association's India Night and it was so incredibly great. Over 200 performers, all students here. Plenty of filmi music, some with dance routines more impressive than whatever accompanied them in their movies. My favorite was a dance-off among four groups: hip-hop, bhangra, filmi, and daandiya raas (that's the one in which pairs of people clack the sticks together, right?). Each team came out and did its thang, and then they decided that they could fuse them all and everybody won.

I really wish I could dance.

Comments

JR said…
I think all the students in my Hindi class danced (except the white ones). The guy who sits in front of me was in the bhangra group. He'd been growing out his beard all year so he'd look "more Punjabi" for India Night. This week he is clean-shaven.

I was out of town at a conference, so I guess I'm going to have to buy the DVD.
May 02, 2006 7:30 PM
Keith said…
I used to work with this guy from India whose favorite song was called "F*ck Bhangra." Man, you sure could get him started on a rant about bhangra.
May 04, 2006 4:48 PM
Beth Loves Bollywood said…
Si - there was an order form for the DVD in the progrma. I was impressed with their organizational skills there. I'm not sure I need a DVD, but the dancing really was great. Some of the skits, though...oof.

Keith - how can a person not enjoy bhangra? I don't need a nonstop diet of it, and I can easily see how it's been overmixed, but it does have a hypnotic effect on my shoulders.
May 04, 2006 4:54 PM
kb said…
I guess I can safely say that I've seen both sides of the NRI divide...having stayed abroad and returned to dear old Bharat Amma(Fortunately or unfortunately).But nothing is as amusing as ABCD's trying desperately to cling onto distilled vestiges of Indian culture.Filmi dances and bhangra if that is what represents India...then I'm sure good ol Valmiki and Tansen will be turning in their Heavenly abodes.
May 23, 2006 5:26 AM
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