For its 17th annual showcase, Bhangra in the Burgh presented a very impressive show this past Saturday evening. As usual, the student-run production hosted a lineup of different Bhangra dance teams from across the country. In total, nine teams competed, as well as our very own CMU Bhangra team, which performed as a non-competitive exhibition act. The competing teams included First Class Bhangra from Pittsburgh, Duniya de Rang and Fauj Bhangra from Boston, DC Bhangra Crew from Washington D.C., ASAP Bhangra from Tampa, Gabroo Gulab Wargey from Fresno and the Bay Area, Detroit de Shikari from Detroit, Raaj Sheran Da from the Southern U.S., and Rangla Punjab Arts Academy from British Columbia. The other exhibition acts include Lalkaare Folk Academy from Maryland and Nrityamala from Pittsburgh.
Bhangra in the Burgh is a student-led organization which hosts its annual Bhangra competition to raise money for various charities. The group is made up of Carnegie Mellon and Pitt students, who have been heading the program since its founding in 2007. Every year they host a competition between Bhangra dance teams from around the country, even during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, when they held the event virtually.
This year at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, doors opened at 6:00 p.m. for the array of teams performing. First, we heard an ironically hilarious comedic skit from the hosts written entirely by ChatGPT, describing the “history” of Bhangra. The hosts cheerfully read through the woefully inaccurate skit, which was very entertaining and showed just how poorly ChatGPT performs as a historical comedian.
Each dance team was introduced by their individually-produced introductory videos showcasing some of their past performances and introducing their members. The teams dazzled the audience with their impressive moves and planned theatrical bits. One team even had a platform brought on stage, which six members carried while two performers danced on top of it. The Bhangra music mixes were just as impressive. Several, if not most of them, sampled rap producer tags, video game sound effects, and even a much-appreciated line from the hit anime “Attack on Titan” (props to Fauj Bhangra for surprising me with Erwin’s famous speech).
CMU Bhangra was the last group to perform and did so beautifully. I had the pleasure of attending their preview, so I knew what to expect. Along with their amazing set, they paid homage to their senior dancers and other members of the team as the performers beckoned them onstage for a powerful finale.
I happen to have a very close friend on the CMU Bhangra team, so I know just how powerful and beautiful Bhangra dance is. I’ve been lucky enough to view their performances over the years, and they never cease to impress me, tonight included! Their performance along with the performances of the competing teams were extremely exciting, and I thoroughly enjoyed my night viewing the performances amongst a crowd of screaming fans.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of attending Bhangra in the Burgh or one of our own team’s previews and performances right here on campus, I strongly encourage you to do so. Teams dedicate long hours to practice and perfect their dances, and it truly shows. It’s an experience like no other.
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