A group of MSU dancers has claimed top honors at an international dance competition. The MSU Sitare Punjab de Bhangra dance team took first place in the seventh annual Bhangra Nation World University Competition.
MSU's Bhangra team is affiliated with the Coalition of Indian Undergraduate Students.
The competition was held Feb. 1 in Toronto with a variety of competing teams from the United Kingdom and Canada. MSU finished first and earned the world championship.
"I had people pinch me to make me realize we had won the world championship," business finance sophomore Jasmine Dhillon said.
Amit Agarwal, president of the organization, said he felt satisfied with the results.
"The hard work and sweat really paid off," he said.
The team started organizing the performance routine in September and put a lot of time and effort in for nearly four months, Agarwal said.
"The dance is a part of our culture, but we do it for fun," he said. "It involves a lot of coordination which takes effort and hard work."
The event is the only official competition outside of India, Agarwal said. But the team plans to compete on March 29 at a national competition in Washington, D.C. The team will be performing the routine they performed in Toronto.
Nishad Parmar said the victory came as a surprise.
"I was jumping up and down," he said. "We didn't expect to win."
Parmar, an electrical engineering senior, said Bhangra dance originated in the Indian state of Punjab. It is performed during festivals, weddings and farming time. The traditional instruments used consist of the Dhol, Tumbi and Sarangi.
"We earned more respect for us and our dance and what we do," he said.
The MSU Bhangra dance team was organized a year ago and has 19 members, but only 16 perform the actual dance. Even though dancing is a form of entertainment, Parmar said he is able to relax, get in tune with his culture and feel connected to his country and people.
Dhillon compared Bhangra dancing to cheerleading, but she said it has much more detail and requires and individual to have high energy. Throughout the dance, some performers carried other dancers over their shoulders.
"I want people to be interested in doing the dance, not just Indians," she said.
