Dance teams from all over the Midwest are gathering in Madison this weekend for an India Students’ Association-hosted dance competition that is truly one of a kind. The aptly titled, “Aa Dekhen Zara” translates to “Come Take A Look,” and that is exactly what students should do, according to Nivkiran Dhillon, the captain of UW’s team, School of Bhangra.
“In Wisconsin, there isn’t another competition like it,” Dhillon explained in a conversation with The Daily Cardinal. “We wanted to be the ones to bring it to this state.”
The Overture Center stage will come alive on Saturday when various college teams try to dance their way to a win in one of three categories: Bhangra, Fusion or Bollywood. There will be colorful outfits, an enthusiastic crowd and plenty of...hip hop?
“We mix in hip hop to appeal to the general public,” Dhillon said. “We don’t do traditional songs all the time.” She mentioned using a Nicki Minaj jam in a recent mix, and also went on to explain how the UW School of Bhangra once shocked their audience.
“At a competition once, we mixed in dubstep and people were amazed!” she said.
While the UW team is not participating in the event due to their hosting duties, teams from universities like Northwestern and Purdue will show off moves and mixes that are sure to entertain the crowd.
“Some of the teams are from nearby, and they’ll bring their friends, so it should be a really lively crowd,” Dhillon said.
The Overture Center also offers an ideal atmosphere for the event. According to Dhillon, it is by far the best stage for such performances.
“We chose it as a venue because we wanted to make a lasting impression on the other teams,” she said with a laugh. “We couldn’t just show them some random place.”
The event offers an opportunity for students to experience something culturally enriching and to see a different side of campus. If any student is asked about football at UW-Madison, they will likely have plenty to say, but Bhangra is a little-known aspect of Madison life.
“There isn’t always that much diversity on our campus, so it can be really interesting to see what other people or groups have to offer,” Dhillon pointed out as she expressed her wishes for people to give Bhangra a try, either by attending the show this weekend or even by taking the next step and testing it out themselves.
All in all, the competition this weekend will give Madisonians a chance to answer the question, “Hey, what is Bhangra anyway?” and to be part of a unique experience. After all, it is the only competition of its kind in our great Dairy State.
According to Dhillon, people often don’t know what to expect when they see Bhangra teams in their performance outfits.
For those who go to the show on Saturday, they will no longer have to wonder.
The show is at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 25. Tickets are $15 dollars for students and can be purchased at www.overturecenter.com/production/aa-dekhen-zara.
