The 2006 Boston Bhangra Competition was held at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston, on November 11, 2006. With more than 2700 people in attendance, it was what is promised to be. With twelve teams from Boston University, Cornell University, Florida, MIT, New Jersey, New York University, Northeastern University, Rutgers University, Tufts University, University of British Columbia, University of California Merced and University of Pittsburgh competing in this year’s competition, it kept every member of the audience on its toes.

What is bhangra?  Bhangra “can express anything from the height of joie-de-vivre to sudden bursts of warlike emotions. There is no known folk dance in the world that has the range of Bhangra. The Punjabi Bhangra is a dance that combines every known emotion. Bhangra is a traditional dance, harvest dance, wrestlers dance, dance of spiritual ecstasy, dance of joy and abandon and dance of romance” is what the Bhangra Council explains it as (www.bhangracouncil.com).

This dance was on full display during the Boston Bhangra Competition 2006. This competition did so well the last two year that the tickets actually sold out in advance this year!!! That is very impressive for the third annual show!

All of the teams were very exciting, but unfortunately, only three could win.
The top award went to the Duniya All Stars team from Vancouver, British Columbia, who were awarded a trophy, medals, and $2500.  Second place was awarded to Lethal Bhangra Crew (LBC) from Merced, California, who were awarded a trophy and $1000.  Third place was awarded to Cornell University who were awarded a trophy and $500.

One of the highlights of the show was the singers from England that performed before the trophies were awarded.  The Heera Group and Kam Bhamra & Jeeti entertained the crowd with a great singing performance with live dhols on stage, while the competitors danced behind them.

“Bhangra is very important to us, and we want to recognize it in its fullest form.  Bhangra is a very exciting dance, and we want all of Boston to see just how rich this aspect of our Indian culture is.  We have extreme respect for all the teams that came here today as they put in a lot of hard work and dedication to make this show possible.”  These are the words of Amit and Rohit Bhambi, the primary organizers of the show.  “Without the support of the community and our sponsors, this show wouldn’t have been possible.”

The Boston Bhangra organization puts on this show each year, and has many other goals, including its mentorship program, teaching bhangra classes, and competing nationally at various competitions across the country. To find out more about this organization, visit their website: www.bostonbhangra.com.

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