Vancouver, get ready to dance your heart out. The 10th annual Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration is a lively festival that will showcase music and dance from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. Bhangra is a rhythmic folk dance that incorporates a blend of Punjabi music and Western influences.
The aim of the event is to connect global communities as the performers each present a piece of their cultural heritage. Several local and international artists will be performing at places such as SFU Woodwards, Surrey City Hall, and the Vogue Theatre, to name a few.
The festival kicks off with the Transfusion event and reception at SFU Woodwards on May 29. As the name suggests, the diverse range of performers at the event showcase a multitude of cultural and artistic boundaries. Among the performers are Now or Never, a hip hop breakdance crew; JCC Shalom Dancers, a dance group that celebrates Jewish heritage; and the Leela Dance Group which performs Indian classical and folk dance.
Other performers include First Nations dance group Native Thunder and students from the Royal Academy of Bhangra. The Peak sat down with members of three of the crews to talk about their upcoming performances at the festival.
The Now or Never crew was established in 1997 by a group of young people who shared the same interests in hip-hop dance. They have performed at a variety of venues ranging from South Asian weddings to the closing ceremony at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
As for what they wish to take away from their upcoming performance at the Bhangra Festival, member Jhaymee Hizon says, “We are always open to learning and experiencing new things. We want to learn more about the South Asian culture and incorporate their [style of] dance into our show.”
The JCC Shalom Dancers have been going strong since 1981, dancing to showcase their Jewish culture and heritage. Member Marla Simcoff describes the group’s style as “a melting pot of styles. We do Eastern European and Turkish dance and incorporate it into a modern style of dance.” Since performing at the Yom Ha’azmaot (Israeli Independence Day) celebration in 1981, the group have become well known representatives of the Jewish community and history. As for the group dynamic, Simcoff says, “We are all in different stages of our lives. We have mothers, newlyweds, university students, and we are all united because we love to dance.”
Leela Dance Group is an Indian dance group established by four choreographers who have been dancing together since they were kids. Incorporating a fusion of classical, structured Indian dance with the community oriented fun of folk dancing. Choreographer Monisha Manhas says of the group, “I enjoy the fusion of classical and folk dance as the classical style by itself can get lost on our younger generation.”
The diverse showcase of cultures at this festival is truly something to celebrate; though the performers are from many different backgrounds, they are all united in their love of music and dance. Manhas characterizes this love well saying, “I think that people can create a deep emotional connection with music. Dance allows people to put a physical presence to that music. Even if people don’t understand the words, we can pull emotion from the music and put the emotions into our movement.”
