Head's Newsletter 13 May 2022

BHANGRA DANCE YEAR 7

Bhangra is an exciting, traditional dance style that is performed in Punjab and sometimes other regions of India. It is performed during happy gatherings and occasions, such as festivals or weddings. Year 7 pupils at Tiffin got a great opportunity to experience this energetic dance style with live music. We entered the dance studio, most of us not knowing what to expect. We were greeted by our workshop instructor, who was called Vijay, and got to listen to the loud, powerful but cheerful bhangra music. We were starting to see the deep culture hidden within it. It was played with a bass drum, known as a dhol and was beaten with 2 sticks. We then learned 4 sets of dance moves, which involved moving your hands and legs at the same time. There was much jumping, turning and clapping involved as well. It was tiring but still very fun, especially with the music playing loudly at the same time - we could feel the energy radiating through the room. We put all of our newly learnt dance moves into one large sequence and we finally performed our final piece. By the end, we were all sweating, but it was definitely a worthwhile experience, that showed us the diversity of different dance styles around the world. - Dhruv Soni