GMU Bhangra was established in 2007 by a group of Punjabi-Indian students. Their goal was to spread the Punjabi culture, within their college and community, through traditional folk dance. This year, they have gone above and beyond expectations and placed second at the most prestigious collegiate competition in the nation, Bhangra Blowout 23. Their technique, creativity, and boldness have put them on the map and now they are a force to be reckoned with!
This Saturday, the South-Asian socio-cultural organization at North Carolina State University, Ektaa, is organizing its annual premier event of the year. Oak City Revolution, powered by Saavn, is the first ever Bollywood-Fusion Dance Competition to be held in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina. EIGHT of the nation's best Bollywood-Fusion dance teams will compete in the newly renovated Stewart Theater in Talley Student Center on NC State University's campus!
Poonam and Priyanka Shah, graduates of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, both received diplomas in the College of Business. Poonam majored in finance, while Priyanka double majored in accounting and management. These two talented girls have taken over the dance community by storm and continue to innovate themselves in hopes of doing bigger and better things.
Bhavika Patel, also known as Bhavi, is currently a sophomore at North Carolina State University. She majors in computer and electrical engineering because she loves working with computers and development. With her degree, she hopes to make enough money to support her passion, dancing. After she graduates, she plans to work for a technology company and wants to keep dancing, whether it be taking classes or choreographing.
Virginia School Of Bhangra, also known as VSB, is a relatively new group to the dance community. Unlike most teams that compete in the bhangra circuit, they are not associated with any college or university. Virginia School of Bhangra started off as a summer camp, hosted by GMU Bhangra, called “Bhangra 101.” After seeing a large turnout during the two years it was held, parents wanted a year-round bhangra program for their children. They hoped to see an increase in results, as well as getting connected to the Punjabi culture. With this growing interest, five instructors from Bhangra 101 decided to create Virginia School of Bhangra.
