Bhangra Team prepares for weekend competition

Dressed in bright, colorful costumes and decorative turbans, a troupe of young men and women positions itself on stage. Upbeat, fast folk music plays, and the performers begin to collectively dance, using lots of lively and energetic arm and hand movements in a Bollywood-like manner.\nAfter only a handful of semesters and a competition under its belt, the IU Bhangra\n Team has been preparing for this weekend’s Midwest Masala competition at Xavier University in Cincinnati.\nOrganized in the fall of 2005, the registered group will compete against six other university teams.\nMany IU students are not aware there even is a Bhangra dance team, let alone actually know what Bhangra is.\nBhangra, originating from the state of Punjab in northern India, is one of the most active forms of Indian dance. \n“It’s upbeat and very folkish,” co-captain and junior Vani Joshi said.\nThe IU team is made up of 14 members, but most teams usually include 16, he said.\nUsing props such as staffs and drums, performances are energetic and filled with choreographed stunts. Freshman member Amit Pithadia said at some point the team wants to use hoops with fire.\nThe team also uses colorful costumes, taking up to two hours to dress before a show. “The longest part is putting on the turbans that the boys wear,” Joshi said.\nAs with many types of dance teams, the Bhangra Team performs at IU and other universities. \n“We usually perform for the Indian Student Association,” member Huma Ansari said. “But last weekend we danced in the Taste of Asia show. We’ll dance for anyone who asks us, basically.”\nTaste of Asia, an event organized by the Asian American Association and held Saturday at the IU Auditorium, featured traditional and modern Asian culture, as well as food samples from local Asian restaurants.\n“A lot of universities have Bhangra teams,” Joshi said. “But we are an actual, official IU Student Organization Account group. We just don’t have an office.”\nFreshman Anand Davé said he joined the team after seeing his older sisters dance for their respective teams.\n“Before coming to IU, I already knew of the team because my sister was friends with people who had been on it,” he said. “After getting here, it just became a matter of talking to the right people.\n“My favorite thing about being on the team is performing because you get all hyped for it,” he said. “But it’s also the worst part if the audience isn’t really into it.”\nFreshman Harinder Kaur said her favorite part of being on the team was that everyone gets along. \n“We all have fun with each other, and we’re all good friends outside of the team,” Kaur said.\nTryouts for the team are held at the beginning of each semester and are open to anyone interested, Joshi said. \nFor more information, contact the team via e-mail at iubhang@indiana.edu.