The stage is filled with a blaze of colors, lively music, and synchronized aerobic dance movements. Is it the latest *NSYNC video? Sesame Street on Ice? No, something much more cultural and stimulating - the Tufts University Bhangra Team. Most Jumbos are probably not too familiar with Bhangra dancing. The style originated in Punjabi, India, and is performed during the harvest season to bring abundant vegetation and good weather in the upcoming year.
The dance itself is lively, with brightly colored costumes and uplifting, rhythmic music that creates an vivid background for the energy it takes to perform the dances.
Founder Vidushi Gupta, a senior, leads the 14-member group. She says she is excited by how interest in the group has grown in its three years of existence. The team has seven male and seven female members, a combination that makes for intense and varied dances and stunts.
The first challenge was just making the team. Fifty girls tried out for the group, but for competition purposes, a smaller, tighter body of participants was needed.
The team has been diligently preparing for a major competition this Saturday at MIT, but the dancers practice long hours throughout the year. At recent rehearsals, the group has worked for as much as three hours a night. The hard work is definitely worth it, Gupta says. "They enjoy it, that's the best of it all."
Gupta's team remains true to the traditional customs of the dance, with the males donning beards and turbans while performing. But sticking to tradition can sometimes be a disadvantage in competitions, where Bhangra teams have started to incorporate acrobatic moves to impress judges. Although the Tufts team includes some acrobatics in its routines, it sticks mostly to traditional styles - an inclination that should benefit the team at this weekend's competition, where judges favor the more traditional style of dance.
Gupta, who says her team has a good chance of placing this year, says it's just a matter of nerves. "On stage is where they shine, and they know it," Gupta said.
Because many of the team's members are returning from last year, a close bond has existed from the first weeks of September. With this cohesive group of performers, Gupta hopes to earn a name for Tufts in the Bhangra dance community, despite its relatively small South Asian population.
Not all of the members are of South Asian descent. Although the Bhangra Team is a TASA organization, Gupta invites dancers of all ethnicities to get involved. There are opportunities for anyone who wants to learn about the Bhangra dance and culture to join, Gupta says she is more than happy to teach newcombers.
In the past, Tufts' Bhangra Team has performed in campus culture parades. It has been asked by the Asian Community at Tufts to participate in its culture show, and might join the Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) in its winter performance. Clearly, the team's unique talent and unwavering energy is in high demand.
If you are interested in seeing Bhangra in action, check out this weekend's competition at the Kresge Auditorium at MIT. Doors open at 6 p.m. Ttickets are $12 per person.
