Bhangra is a dance of power, force, energy, and grace, according to Bhangra dancers. A sense of absolute freedom and enthusiasm emerges from the self-discipline required to finish the whole routine, encouraging the circuit to develop and prosper.
Origin and various forms of Bhangra
Bhangra is a combination of diverse folk dances like Sammi, Jhoomar, Luddi, Gidda, Dhamaal, Sialkot, and more from all over Punjab. Some of which can be traced back far before the term Bhangra was created. Sialkoti is a Bhangra dance form in the Sialkot region and is danced by swinging one leg higher above the ground. Jhoomar, from Jhang-Sial, is a 16-beat dhol cycle that could perhaps be dated back to the Aryan era. Sammi is a form that focuses on singing about a legendary girl. Due to independence movements all across the region, connectivity amongst provinces in Punjab developed tremendously in the pre-independence era. Around the late 18th century, the very first references of Bhangra as a form of dance emerge in historical documents. Bhangra’s current style and shape emerged in the mid-1950s and has subsequently evolved.
Due to the contributions of several well-known dancers and performers, these dance forms are now widely performed. The common dance styles were soon transformed by each region into their unique folk traditions. A typical Bhangra performance in Punjab eventually began to include specific sections, such as a Jhoomar section or a Dhamaal section. Bhangra spread across India as a result of the exponential increase in connectivity in Punjab.
The vibrant Bhangra outfits
During the performance, you may have noticed the dancers’ incredibly bright and colourful Bhangra outfits, or vardiyaan (uniform). The vardiyaan are meant to provide the dancer’s full range of flexibility while also emphasising the aesthetic effect of Bhangra dances. To put it another way, the vardiyaan are indeed an interesting combination of elegance and agility. When men and women perform Bhangra nowadays, they usually wear distinct vardiyaan. The pagh (turban) worn by men and chunni worn by women, are two head covering cloths associated with the Sikh religion, which is prevalent in Punjab. They represent pride, modesty, bravery, and reverence. The Bhangra pagh is a long, artistically folded piece of fabric that culminates in a heavily crisp, pleated fan (turla) which adorns the entire turban. The chunni is a vibrant scarf that is worn around a woman’s head and fastened to her kurta and vest in an artistic manner. The vardiyaan has several additional features as well.
Rumaalaan (handkerchiefs), were customarily worn around the wrists of dancers to bring attention to their intricate hand gestures. The vardiyaan as a whole enhances the dance since each component has its significance, history, and purpose.
The Beats of Bhangra
When performing Bhangra, musical instruments like the Dhol, Chimta, Algozey, Dhad, Katos, and Shikke are commonly used. Bhangra music and Punjabi culture grew popular in Hindi cinema as well, usually during happy scenes. Bhangra music routines began to incorporate a substantial amount of Western rhythms and beats, various hybrid techniques were developed, and innovations grew extremely important in winning awards. Bhangra influence can now be observed in Western pop/hip-hop music, signifying that it has gone global.
