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p>The annual Best of the Best dance competition that has been previously held in NYC (see here and here), has moved to Chicago this year. On Saturday, April 7th, hordes of young Bhangra fans will descend upon the windy city like locust. Will our elusive Ennis make an appearance there as well?
After drawing an audience of more than 2,000 last year, Best of the Best (B.O.B) dance competition is back in its third year, bringing the best dancers from across North America to one stage to compete for a grand prize totaling $6,500.
B.O.B has moved from New York City to Chicago, and is proud to announce that this years competition is at the world-renown Arie Crown Theater at McCormick Place on Saturday, April 7th, 2007. The event promises to attract an audience of over 4,000 people nationwide to watch nine teams compete in three categories. Ticket holders can expect a special guest performance at the competition, as well as an after party featuring some of the country’s best DJs.
B.O.B is unique in that it is the first large-scale non-profit competition to bridge the gap among different South Asian dance styles and crown one winner among the top teams. The show consists of three dance categories: Bhangra, Raas-Garba, and Fusion/Bollywood. Competing teams are invited after placing first at a previous South Asian national competition such as Boston Bhangra, South Beach Bhangra, Raas Chaos, Dandia Dhamaka, Bollywood Berkeley, Phillyfest, Chicago-Agni and others.
You can get your tickets here. Speaking of Indian dance competitions, a story last week in the SF Chronicle took a look at what seems to be a growing market for these types of events:
For Indian-American students reared in the United States, Bollywood dance competitions have become a way to connect with their parents’ culture without losing touch with what they see on MTV.
Rohit Bal, 20, a third-year management science major at the University of California, San Diego, grew up in a mostly white suburb of Los Angeles, with few other Indians.
“Up until college, I was more … I guess you could call it whitewashed,” he said. The dancing “was a window to get in touch with my culture, with my parent’s culture, while making it fun for myself.”
Approving, Indian-born parents filled the seats closest to the stage at the Scottish Rite Center. [Link]
Khalsa Junction is one of the best teams in America (not sure if they’ll be at this competition though). Until recently they never had girls on their team, which was great…personally I think it looks disgusting and manly when girls do hardcore bhangra moves. Regardless, they’re one amazing team.
I got to disagree there Amitabh. Girls doing hardcore moves is where it’s at.
In anything other than bhangra you’d never find me disagreeing with that!
“Up until college, I was more… I guess you could call it whitewashed”
What wrong with being whitewashed?
On a more serious note? 1.What is Raas-garba and fusion/bollywood 2.Since i’m punjabi I feel kind of clueless asking this, but is bhangra big in the Gujarati, bengali and south indian community’s in the states. 3.The Punjabi community in the States makes up much smaller % of desi’s in then in Canada and England where punjabi make up higher % of the desi population, so how did bhangra get so big in America south asian community’s
Damnit this sucks that it’s not in NYC anymore. I loved it last year.
What is “hardcore” bhangra? And why is it reserved only for men?
(If I can get the weekend free I will so be there. ^__^)
BOB Competing Teams include:
Merced College Lethal Bhangra Crew (Unknown Bhangra Team) (Unknown Bhangra Team)
Penn State Ghaamudyaz Raas UMich Raas Team Cal Berkeley Raas N’ Roll
UCLA Nashaa UPenn Dhamaka (Unknown Bollywood/Fusion Team)
ahh my brother and his croonies are going to be there.. sounds like a great time.
Bhangra is the dance done by men, giddha is the dance done by women. Women doing bhangra / giddha fusion is cool as hell Amitabh. There was an interview on a TV station here about a Gujarati lady from Leicester who got into bhangra when she was a teenager and she now has the best female bhangra troupe in the UK. Although the dance competitions are not so big in the UK, where people are more into the music and going to nightclubs.
Seriously? Would you prefer we just put chunis on our head and solely do giddha? If you think bhangra is just for men, or that women who do bhangra should stick to just standing around and shaking their hips, well then … move on over!
Yeah I don’t get that either, I think women doing bhangra looks great, come on Amitabh, don’t be such an Uncle.
Bhangra, boy, see both start with bhubba, or ‘b’ in engrezi. Same with gidha, girl, both with ‘g’. Why does this generation have to confuse what is already so simple?
Kidding!
Hardcore or not, girls doin bhangra is, to put it simply, hot as hell.
There are a lot of comptetions are being held at the same time. Bhangra Blowout in DC is also being at the end of March. This just disburses the teams and their fans all over the place.
Most of the college bhangra teams include everybody from gujus, pakistanis, bengalis and the token white/black/latino
I knew people would disagree with me! I just think it looks kind of messed up.
Red Snapper, you are being too modest about the U.K…the U.K. is the HOME of bhangra music in this day and age. U.S. style dance competitions may be uncommon, but pretty much all the bhangra music itself comes from the U.K. (including the music used by U.S teams). The U.K. bhangra scene has changed a lot since the late 70’s/early 80’s when it started out, but just when you think it’s about to die out, a whole slew of fresh, awesome music and new DJs/producers/artists comes out (or a new place like Scotland becomes a hotbed of bhangra music). It’s actually a reflection of the changing community, as it transitioned from 1st gen to 2nd gen, and now I think the emergence of the 3rd gen is not far off. In the early days, bands were the rule, which sang, played their own instruments, and performed live. Now basically it’s all DJ producers, with the singers being imported from India (since less and less U.K. born youth are competent in Punjabi). I do predict that EVENTUALLY this scene will die out, since fresh immigration to the UK is so low now, and the tastes of the youth will keep changing as they lose their desiness. But there is another good 10-15 years left I think. The summertime schedule of melas throughout different cities in the UK is another wonderful thing you guys have out there. As you can tell, I love the U.K.
I think you guys should promote bhangra tourism!
My reason for loving the U.K. – josh and Kailash Kher in one place – oh how I wish I was a jetsetter and could fly out for the weekend.
Or maybe you just can’t handle the competition =)
Amitabh,
I think you are first on SM who quoted himself
Trust me, I need a minimum of 4 drinks before I even consider dancing.
Yeah, and that’s not even the first time.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9CDjRLl1wUY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hxjruNr0OVI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GxKcWPZHbMw
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BOOqLPo6cr4
The above are four decent songs which are either from the UK or have a UK connection.
There are dozens of Bhangra competitions in the US. Moreover, nowadays there are also several Raas-Garba competitions (Traditional Gujarati dancing) and Bollywood/Fusion competitions. Best of the Best (“BOB”) is REALLY different b/c the only way to compete at this competition is by invite. Teams are invited based on having already won first place at another competition. THere are 3 Bhangra teams chosen, 3 Raas-Garba Teams and 3 Bollywood/Fusion teams. So not only does the audience get to see the “best” teams, but they get to see 3 different styles of Indian dancing.
A lot of people that come to dance competitions are only familiar with one style (mainly Bhangra, and Bollywood) and have never seen Raas or quality Fusion dancing. Thats why this show has been coined by a lot of its’ participants as the “olympics” of dance competitions. The goal for a lot of these teams has been to win so that they get invited to compete at BOB.
Hopefully this clarifies the vision behind this competition. Definitly something unique that hasn’t been done until now. Also, these teams, although mostly all collegiate, have talent and creativity beyond those of professional dance teams and shows. They really work hard to bring their best to this competition. A must see for just about anyone.
I gave your mom TBT.
Bhangra winners at last year’s BOB.
Amitabh
I doubt that bhangra will die out in 10 to 15 years in the UK — as long as there are Punjabis, especially Sikhs, living in England there will be a strong bhangra music scene, alongside all the other types of desi music that come out of the UK. Why? Because it fulfils a need. It gives Indians generally (not just Punjabis), a rooted identity that is not tied up with religion and is celebratory and cool. This is as important for third and fourth generation kids as anyone else. I seriously don’t see it dying out any time soon, although downloading and things like that might affect the ability of artists to make money out of it. With the growth in media outlets, radio stations, satellite TV, melas, nighclubs, increased crossover interest, and markets in the diaspora in the USA and Canada, it gets even bigger. Desi fusion and Underground is cool but it doesnt pull the punters in the way a bhangra gig or a mela does. If you watch the videos or gigs there are teenage boys and girls playing dhol, wanting to be producers. It will change, become more producer and DJ driven, less live bands in the old way, but it won’t die out anytime soon.
You have to understand what drives it too. In many ways, multicultural cities in England are very tribal. When Indian kids want an identity and youth culture that doesnt revolve around boring religion and that kind of thing, something sexy and cool they can call their own, just like the black kids have reggae and hip hop and the white kids who go to raves and rock gigs, Indians need something of their own, a music scene and culture that they can be part of and proud of. That was what the 1980’s and 1990’s bhangra boom was all about — I know, I used to go to gigs at the Hammersmith Palais and Leicester Square and Southall Tudor Rose. Because England is a country where everybody has to have a music and sub-culture they define themselves by. Ever since the Beatles it’s been like that. Punjabis living in London and the Midlands copied the Jamaican kids with their reggae sound systems and started DJing and it all took off from there.
Nitin Sawhney and Talvin Singh and those kinds of things are cool and I love them, but they are kind of very intellectual and ‘Notting Hill’, if you see what I mean. Bhangra is working class, unpretentious, hedonistic, doesnt give a damn, doesnt try to be sophisticated, and is made by kids from unfashionable towns and cities. And they make the music people want to hear. So it won’t die, it will just change as Indians in England change. This is a good book to read on the subject if you’re interested, by the way.
Oh nice! I am planning to attend the event.
Are any other mutineers planning on going?
It’s tight for me workwise around then, but I might try to organize a meetup for earlier that day if I can. Stay tuned …
I would stay away from this. These Punjabi event’s or the equivalent of the Hip Hop Source awards. Someone will get shot and beat down.
That would be Bhangra Blowout – one of the two bhangra shows I refuse to go to.
Off Topic but — World Cup is about to start!
Full fixture list here
I like the Guardian coverage best.
I went to the first BOB in New York. While I wasn’t absolutely thrilled, I should say that it’s a somewhat classier event than Bhangra Blowout.
The shootings happened at the “after-party” not at the event itself.
brother bean and his boys are flying in for it.. alas, i won’t be attending, although it sounds like a fab time.. ennis says he might have a meetup beforehand… definitely go meet mr. ennis.. he’s a man of mystery, wonder, etc… 😉
Now what they really need is one giant blow out dance competition with styles from all across the globe. They could even make a movie about it where a dance teacher from the East comes to an impoverished inner city school and unites a bunch of malcontented youths to come together in order to win a dance competition so they can save the recreation center from being torn down by a greedy land developer.
Breakin 3: Electric Boogaloo strikes back Oh Damn You Got Served Again
I wish they would bring some of this stuff down South. All I’ve got is my wife’s Bharata Natyam tapes. Abhi use your influence to bring BOB to Texas. We’ve got a Scottish Rite Temple in downtown Dallas.
closed for cleaning (#23):
THANK YOU!!! That was an amazing clip. Can’t believe I never saw it before. Live singer and live musicians, as well as great dancing. Incredible! Now I’m wondering how I managed to miss that show…oh yeah, it’s because tickets were sold out way in advance. If that’s the quality of the performances, I think everyone in the Chicago area who can should definitely check it out.
BOB is actually a good competition. my guess is that it moved cities because of the phenomenally shady promotional team that was pushing it here.
I was just having a similar discussion w/a friend the other day about how competitions have actually gotten better… more live music, more of a concept of the breadth and depth of punjabi dances, less school-mascots-on-tricycles-in-a-turban (i’m not making this up. i’ll post a youtube link if I can find it).
FWIW presenting “bhangra-dance” as a cultural export of the Punjabi is an entirely post-1947, fabricated thing. It’s only within the last 5 years or so that enough groundwork was laid for people to get a sense of how big, diverse, and geographically-linked Punjabi folk dances (and music) really are. I point you in this direction to my studying-bhangra-on-a-Fulbright friend:
http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~hcritz/dholpages/dholhome.html
note that this is ONLY for the extreme bhangra nerd.
Holy freak mr cicatrix I have friends who will go crazy when they see that site of your mate! Getting forwarded to them as I type. Thanks on their behalf.
Hey Mr. Cicatrix, what incredibly shady promotional team are you speaking of?
Also, BOB moved cities to take the show to a new audience and to take the teams to a new city. Helps brand the name and make it more of a national competition.
For those that haven’t been to the show, the last 2 years a Raas has taken the overall prize. This was really surprising considering how popular Bhangra and Bollywood are. Helps open peoples eyes to the various forms of Indian dance.
To check out “highlights” from last years show go to http://www.bobchicago.com/promo.mp4
Mr. Cicatrix, that site (in comment #35) is AMAZING! Especially the information about the jhummar and sammi dances, as well as the way things changed after Partition, and the ways in which bhangra got modified and came to dominate the scene. WOW. This is probably my favorite comments thread here on SM in a long time. The articles make a good point…so much of what seems to be ‘authentic’, ‘timeless’, ‘age-old’ culture might be recent inventions (or reinterpretations of actual older culture). The fact is, in India, culture is no longer organic, it is very analysed, packaged, and marketed. Once you become ‘aware’ on an intellectual level of ‘your culture’ and ‘your heritage’, something changes, and it is no longer practiced in the same pure way. I wonder if garba-raas (and other aspects of what is now called ‘Gujurati culture’),as well as other Indian cultures today are also significantly different than what they were only a hundred years ago.
Probably the best place to see real, authentic, original bhangra would have been at Vaisakhi celebrations in the 19th and early 20th centuries, in which Muslims also used to participate. Prakash Tandon described bhangra of the 1920’s in West Punjab (now in Pakistan) as consisting of a dhol player, surrounded by a circle of dancers; the only other instrument would be the algoza (double flute), and there would be a singer singing couplets.
I’m really glad you guys dig Gibb’s work; it’s a shame how many of the younger kids– even some dancers on teams that i’ve taught dhol to– are pretty much uninterested in all this.
You should see his thesis! Really only about dhol and rhythms but whoa.
Bhangra is an elegant, energizing dance form that Desi elders and youngsters can both agree on. Finally! Bhangra is so great even all other cultures can appreciate it. It transcends race, age etc. I personally don’t care too much for bollywood dances, but Bhangra (and my personal favorite Bharat Natyam) rules!
All right… this may be a few days early but patience is not my virtue. ^__^
I’m aiming my hotness towards this party and bringing friends. I have a few questions.
Is anyone else going? I would love to meet anyone from Team SM who’s there, although I know that in a crowd of 4,000 it may be difficult.
If we get the cheap seats in the balcony, will the dancers look like little dots? Knowing that this is the first year BOB’s been in Chicago, does anyone know the venue (Arie Crown Theatre) and know whether it would be better to sit in the back of the main level or the front of the balcony?
Is the after-party worth attending? ^__^
Thanks!