In 1997, Jasjeet Thind ’01 began a club dedicated to the art of bhangra. A traditional celebratory performance art, bhangra originated in the northern Indian state of Punjab as a folk dance in honor of the harvest. The appropriately named Bhangra! quickly gained popularity on the Hill after appearing in shows like the Fall Step dance show held in the fall.
Last semester, Bhangra! formed an all male dance troupe called Bhangra Mundey who have already received national attention for their onstage energy and enthusiasm.
On Jan 25th, Bhangra Mundey attended an intercollegiate bhangra competition in Detroit, Michigan called Bhangra Fusion and won 2nd place. On Feb 2nd, Bhangra Mundey attended Bhangra Nation 6: Shaan Punjab Dee, an international competition held in Toronto Canada where they placed 1st.
Current Bhangra! Treasurer and chairperson for Pao Bhangra, Tarun Subrahmanian ’03 said of the group: “Not only is Bhangra! a good way to get in touch with the Punjabi culture, it’s great way to express yourself and release some energy on stage.”
Bhangra! is sponsoring an intercollegiate Bhangra exhibition, Pao Bhangra, that will be held March 1st in the Statler Auditorium. It will be the first show solely dedicated to the art of bhangra to ever take place on the Cornell campus. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the internationally lauded Bhangra! perform alongside some of the best Bhangra acts in the nation.
Archived article by Nate Brown