Dola Re Dandiya, located at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a collegiate dance competition primarily focused with the Raas and Bhangra circuits. It was founded in early 2017 by Beyla Patel, Shaily Aghera, and Kinjal Patel. These three founders were members of Tar Heel Raas and came up with the concept after placing at their first national bid competition. They believed it was time to bring some fun to the area by showing their community why they love dance. They also hoped that the competition would help spread their Gujarati culture with the rest of Chapel Hill. This year, the competition has evolved to incorporate the Punjabi culture as well and the board of Dola Re Dandiya is very excited. The competition takes place on February 9, 2019 at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Memorial Hall.
Learn Bhangra, a dance and fitness company, was founded by Lavesh Pritmani and Sandeep Madhas in 2014. Ustaad Gurinderbir Chahal inspired and introduced Lavesh to the beautiful art of folk Bhangra. His ability to teach the technique, in a way that corresponded with everyday life, was incredible. Lavesh wanted to share the knowledge that was imparted on him, with the rest of the world, since no other resource existed at that time. Now, Learn Bhangra has expanded to include workshops, choreography, instructor certifications, and more!
Blacksburg Ki Badmaashi (BKB) is an intercollegiate dance competition that focuses on three Indian dance categories: Bhangra, Fusion, and Raas. In April 2018, members of VT Bhangra, VT Junoon, and VT Dhamaal had a mutual desire to spread South Asian culture and their passion for dance while bringing together the three dance styles. The BKB Executive Board wants to foster a fun and friendly environment where teams can come showcase their hard work and love for dance, while providing an exciting competition. The competition is set to take place on February 23, 2019 in Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
~Be Part of the Trilogy~
Ram Prasad Viswanathan, also known as Dholi Ram, graduated from Drexel University with a degree in Finance and a minor in History. He is currently a marketing consultant, working for an IT solutions provider, in the Greater DC area. Ram is also a part-time small business owner. He promotes his company “Dholi Ram” by performing at weddings, government events, corporate functions, fundraisers, and more, all over the world. Additionally, he is the business development director for Learn Bhangra (LB) and manages both the North American and South American markets.
Jaskarn Singh Darad, an undergrad at York University, is working towards completing his degree in order to become a professor for Social Science. He believes that his past experiences, with handling students, have given him the skills to understand them and their needs, thus providing him a solid basis for teaching. He enjoys watching students grow into mature individuals with personalities that inspire others and that aim to create a positive environment whenever they go. Currently, he works for a dance academy called Nachdi Jawani. It is an established institution, with over ten years of experience, that produces dancers that are well versed in executing bhangra technique and are professional dance trainers that continue to promote the culture all throughout North America.
