The dance, traditional to northern India, is a calorie-burning cardio workout, where ‘the most important thing is smiling.’
Earlier this year, the Sarins visited India, and met with some of the most established bhangra dancers there. One of them told the Sarins “bhangra comes from your heart” — a principle, they say, they have made central to their academy’s work. Neal Chavan, left, and instructor Keshav Sarin, with the Utah Punjabi Arts Academy practice a bhangra, a folk dance from northern India, on Saturday, Nov. 12. 2022, at South Valley Creative Dance Studio.
That first performance featured six dancers. The academy now has 30 students, down from around 50 before the pandemic, they said. They offer three bhangra classes — a beginners’ class for kids, another one for community members, and an advanced-level class — and a class in playing the dhol. Priya Sullivan, right, holds a khunda along with fellow dancers as the Utah Punjabi Arts Academy practices a bhangra, a folk dance from northern India, on Saturday, Nov. 12. 2022, at South Valley Creative Dance Studio. The academy has been around for five years, and the advanced dancers maintain a fast-paced high-energy cadence as they prepare for upcoming performances.
Bhangra is special, Keshav said, because “when you see someone dance bhangra, you just can’t help but smile and have this urge to do this, because this is so contagious.”