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Bhangra Dance Tips

With its vibrant rhythms and beats portraying the essence of India, Bhangra is a form of dance that involves mostly men dancing to the beat of a drummer who stands in the middle of the dancers. Bhangra dance is very much about being in touch with the rhythm of the music and engaging the body in feeling and expressing the music. This combination fuses together for a powerful display of art.
  1. Placement of Hands

    • During Bhangra dance, dancers should either position their hands on their hips or have one hand on their hip and one hand in the air. With one hand in the air, the wrist should be kept moving in circling motions that are in sync with the rhythm of the beat.

    Pattern

    • Bhangra involves many dance patterns. Stepping from side to side and then adding a light jump in the middle of the step is common. Doing this while turning in a small circle with one hand on the hip and one hand in the air with the wrist moving in a small circle completes another basic movement. Practicing each step separately and then fusing them together is a simple way to learn Bhangra movements.

    Foot Tapping

    • Become familiar with the feeling of tapping your feet in certain movements. A common movement in Bhangra is to tap the feet on the ground while the leg is out to the side and straight, but not stiff. The whole body is in sync during this movement with arms in a motion that is symmetric to the legs. Bhangra is danced in bare feet, so it is important to become used to dancing this way or in a non-skid dance shoes, preferably on a hardwood floor.

    Equalizing Movements

    • Movements are about symmetry in Bhangra, so a step that is completed on the right side of the body, such as twisting to the right and tapping the foot on the right, is usually done on the left side as well. This pattern is done continuously throughout Bhangra. The dancer then returns to the starting position and does another movement to the right and left.

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