Acrobatic moves, colorful outfits, lively music: three ingredients needed to perform the traditional Indian dance known as Bhangra, which originated centuries ago in the state of Punjab. In keeping with several other colleges around the US and Canada, Tufts has formed its own Bhangra dance team, which just competed in the prestigious "Bhangra Blowout" at George Washington University.
At the end of last month, the Tufts team made the competition - and the seven-hour drive to DC - and competed against nine other college Bhangra teams from around the US, from schools such as the University of Maryland, the University of California at Berkley, and the University of Michigan.
"It was amazing!" team member Salil Bhandari said. "You go onstage and you see thousands of people screaming your name and watching you, your every move, your every step. Just the adrenaline rush of being on stage made me forget how tired my muscles were."
"Going to George Washington University was a great experience, and a great start for the team this year," team founder Vidushi Gupta added.
The chance to compete in the annual "Blowout" competition drove the team's members throughout the year. "After we put so much time and effort into the dance, it became really important to us to make the competition. We really wanted to make a memorable impression in DC," team member Neha Surana said.
The dancers made the competition their first year out - Gupta began the Tufts Bhangra team this year, after hearing about her sister's experiences in MIT's Bhangra group. "I really like the Bhangra style of dancing, and this year I really wanted to form a team," she said.
Gupta also had the bigger goal in mind - she wanted the chance to compete in the Blowout. At a Tufts Associate of South Asians (TASA) meeting in the beginning of the year, Gupta announced that she was looking for dedicated students to try out.
Gupta chose seven males and seven females out of the many who auditioned for the team. "After tryouts, I didn't think I made it because it was so tough, but I'm definitely glad I tried out because I it was a blast working and dancing with such great people," Bhandari said.
Making it to the Blowout was not so easy. Gupta became the team's leader and choreographer, and drew up a strenuous practice schedule in order to master the dance routines that she choreographed.
"Being on the Bhangra team was almost like playing a sport. We frequently had four to five hour practices on a daily basis," team member Shanunik Panse said.
But Panse didn't hold anything against his leader. "Vidushi's dedication and compassion towards Bhangra and the team itself motivated all of us to try out hardest even when our bodies refused to work," he said.
The Bhangra team perfected its routines in front of live crowds at various events on campus, such as last semester's International Show and TASA Cultural Show, winning over some fans. "The Bhangra team was amazing. They were extremely energetic, and you can tell they put a lot of time into making the dance flawless," said Dave Pegnataro, who attended the International Show.
As the team's first year is nearing an end, team members have an optimistic outlook for next year. "Our team has learned much from this year, and we have a lot of room for growth and improvement. Next year we'll do even better at the competition in DC," Bhandari said.