AEG @ Bhangra in the Burgh (3rd Place)

[BundDetector]

If we wanted to make a set where we were trying to get a trophy and not do Bhangra, we would have made a set like the ones you claimed as "Category 3" in the other post. Those sets are made to just try and get a trophy. Putting khunda segment randomly towards the end of the set, having all these filler segments, putting in hip hop moves and effects in the mix to "enhance" the choreography, and gimmicks here and there.

But...

 

[ramv88]

Thanks, mithu! Maybe one day I'll be qualified enough to take advice from a guy who has 245 SoundCloud followers

View attachment 16914

- Dholi Ram

 

[hardeep_singh]

No but I'm trying to get into it.

lift. or lift not. there is no try.

 

[Howie Magz]

Check out the mix from Harjot and Sargam in the link above!!!

 

[etoteja]

I'm going to do my best to not expand on things already stated, but here are my two main points;

1) This set has AEG written all over it. This may sound stupidly obvious, but I bring this up somewhat as a fault. I really appreciate and enjoy the cleanliness throughout, the unique standardization, and overall feeling AEG sets provide (as you all do it well), but I feel like I'm making the choreo and formations with you guys while I watch you perform because so much of what I see I've seen before or have come to expect. Please understand that I still think everything is good! I just don't like how predictable a set felt after I've seen it. I went wild for jhoomer and bhangra/phumaniya because that was unique shit I hadn't seen that still felt like AEG. This is a new team with an AEG base, let the newbies make segments and have the oldies rip their assholes apart because the segments suck, but let the creativity flow and let this new chapter start. These dancers clearly understand what it means to be on AEG so they won't lose the identity of the team.

2) A handful of dancers killed it throughout the set, the rest of them did not. Not to slight anyone, but I feel like you guys show up to practice just to get this shit over with. I'm sure you all enjoy dancing but I've seen Howie firsthand push himself to become a better dancer and I don't see any of that effort relaying to the team. This harps on the earlier comments about "just dancing for a trophy" because it honestly looked like you guys knowingly danced just enough to get third place. It's hard to explain because AEG has solid dancers and I'm not saying you guys don't have passion but stop looking like you're dogging it on stage. Don't just finish the set at practice, push yourselves to look sexy af at every moment.


Overall, well done to everyone on stage and congrats on the placing! This was in no stretch of the mind a bad performance and I'm excited to see what you guys bring in the future.

 

[sdadoo15]

it just seemed like you were dancing at 60-70% of your capability

Don't just finish the set at practice, push yourselves to look sexy af at every moment.

This is the only part that personally did not sit well with me watching this performance. You guys definitely played the rubric very well bringing this set and executing clean bhangra, but it was very evident that you guys brought down the team execution level to match the lowest jodi. Honestly speaking, I can't say I enjoyed watching this performance simply because people just weren't involved in the set on stage. Very rarely did I see people bring their legs back or kick their butt on taps/pataka footwork, or see people's knees hit waist level on dhamaal. And not once did I see nakhra on stage that gave me any sort of excitement. No doubt you guys dance very well as a team, and should be proud of that cause its a rare thing to see today, but there were too many times during the set where I felt like dancers were holding back from simply performing.

I think the level that you guys danced at is a great base level to have throughout the set, but don't let this base level hold people back from being themselves in the front. You guys could be damn solid if your dancers simply danced at their full capability, it may take a little bit away from team execution but would add so much more in terms of excitement and memorability.

*Side note: this doesn't apply to every dancer individually, just personal feeling of the team as a whole. Gotta give credit to Howie, one of the yellow jodis, and one of the white jodis - probably the three dancers I saw evidently trying to kill it when they came forward.

**Edit: added Eshann's quote - didn't see it earlier but definitely applies.

 

[KushK]

Hello BTF! Thank you very much for all the constructive criticism except the select few who only come on here to bash people, but you guys always provide solid entertainment so can't hate.

However, I really do appreciate the constructive feedback. In the past 10 years as a team (for which Iv'e been involved for 9 of them) the AEG team has gone through different styles and never held back from trying something different. We have danced modern, folk, folk/modern, 18 man, Panda, Trodis, gloves, no gloves, lasers etc etc... This set for us tho was very different and a statement set as a unit for where we want to go with our bhangra for the next couple seasons. Majority of the boys who were dancing this set are still relatively young, 17-21 yrs old. Most of them only have 4-5 comps under their belt and this was by far the most the have had to "dance". We hope to get our team to a very high level of dancing (NO GIMMICKS) and compete with the best the circuit has to offer. Have to admit that I might have F****** up designing the vardiyan because I did make the chaddars very heavy and didn't listen to the boys when they complained- OOPS! Yet, everyone here has given us feedback very close to that of the judges at Burgh- so no excuses on our end. We MUST GET BETTER AND WE WILL. We meant it when we said it that this trophy might be one of our most prized possessions out of the lot. Very grateful for the support and love that we have had over the past 10 years and our plan is to keep going! I'm sure @Howie Magz will take all of this into account when working towards our next set and push these boys to dance harder, heavy chaddars or not! (Not like we lift our legs anyways! lol). A huge thanks to Vishal (VD) for flipping 6 out of the 8 segments in 2 weeks and @Howie Magz for redoing the formations. Thank you to Gunu (Dancing since '08 with no end in sight) for coming back and getting the boys motivated and riled up and Akash Minocha for helping construct the base for this set. As ALWAYS - A BIGGER SHOUT OUT TO THE BURGH COMMITTEE FOR A PHENOMENAL SHOW AND THE JUDGES (Karthik, Cherag, Reeda, Kuntal,Ashita) for all the helpful feedback.

Thank You !!!!
- Ankush Vermani
(AEG COACH)

 

[BhangraSUCKS]

However, I really do appreciate the constructive feedback. In the past 10 years as a team (for which Iv'e been involved for 9 of them) the AEG team has gone through different styles and never held back from trying something different. We have danced modern, folk, folk/modern, 18 man, Panda, Trodis, gloves, no gloves, lasers etc etc...
(AEG COACH)

Bring back the white gloves.

To be honest, AEG is a great team. I just didn't like the fact your mixer called Detroit "Bankrupt City" as the title for your motor city mix. I thought it was uncalled for and frankly, we all got problems.

 

[Harman]

If we wanted to make a set where we were trying to get a trophy and not do Bhangra, we would have made a set like the ones you claimed as "Category 3" in the other post. Those sets are made to just try and get a trophy. Putting khunda segment randomly towards the end of the set, having all these filler segments, putting in hip hop moves and effects in the mix to "enhance" the choreography, and gimmicks here and there.

Im not sure if this is the vd i think it is, but im glad you are part of the AEG legacy.

 

[KushK]

Bring back the white gloves.

To be honest, AEG is a great team. I just didn't like the fact your mixer called Detroit "Bankrupt City" as the title for your motor city mix. I thought it was uncalled for and frankly, we all got problems.

Ah ok, well that was 2014- hopefully we can put that behind us. None the less I will convey your message to @sargam627 and make sure our mix names are more appropriate moving towards the future.

Thanks!

 

[sumeetj]

I think the fact that you guys are working hard to try and bring a new style is admirable - performance was super clean, new vardis were unique. I personally just expected more in terms of sheer entertainment value/hype, especially with Howie challenging all the teams out there publicly (which I love, by the way - need more competitive attitudes out there) - but as it seems like based on Ankush's post that this was more of a transition/building block for yall, makes sense.

As an aside (in response to the comments that AEG made a set just for the trophy, as well as to VD's post) - I think there is (and always has been) this ego each team carries that they do bhangra "for the right reasons" while the others do not - and it's narrow-minded, especially considering how long some of these guys have been in the game. When you are doing something in a competitive environment, why would you NOT cater your routine to the rubric of the competition? I'd rather a team show that they are adaptable and have the skill level to change their style as opposed to stick to only what they do, lose at a comp, and then complain that the judging is messed up. Do basketball teams, football teams, boxers, etc not scout their competition and change their strategies up based on their opponents? Did none of you guys watch Rocky II? The man switched from southpaw to orthodox just to beat Creed! The "old-timers" who have been in the circuit for a long time should at least all have enough faith in each other's motives by this point.

 

[BhangraSUCKS]

Ah ok, well that was 2014- hopefully we can put that behind us. None the less I will convey your message to @sargam627 and make sure our mix names are more appropriate moving towards the future.

Thanks!

It's chill, water under the bridge my friend. But I dunno about some other folks, I hear this mithu is still mad at your mixer too.

 

[Kaur]

Good to see that Gunus knees and back are still holding up next to the youngins! Good job

 

[Aditya]

As an aside (in response to the comments that AEG made a set just for the trophy, as well as to VD's post) - I think there is (and always has been) this ego each team carries that they do bhangra "for the right reasons" while the others do not - and it's narrow-minded, especially considering how long some of these guys have been in the game. When you are doing something in a competitive environment, why would you NOT cater your routine to the rubric of the competition?

Because dance (and any art-form for that matter) is about self-expression and showing what you and your team have to offer that others can't. This is not the same as a sport which has clearly defined rules and an objective, standardized scoring system to determine winners and losers. Do you have to tweak things and frame them in a way that people can understand, appreciate and enjoy? 100%, you're an idiot if you don't. But if your primary concern is the rubric or the opinions of judges, you will subsequently build your routines and practice with somebody else's mindset, values and ideas instead of your own. At that point, I have no idea why you would even bother dancing.

To your point about it being a competitive environment -- the competitive nature shouldn't be about who can make the routine that checks off the boxes. This isn't a to-do list at a grocery store. Competitive nature should come from knowing yourself, believing in a vision that speaks to you, a desire to be better than yourself every day and pushing your own standards. If you are your own harshest critic and painstakingly analyzing and improving your own set, music, dancers, etc., odds are you're going to beat everyone else.

And if we want to talk about Rocky movies...biggest lesson from Creed is that the toughest opponent you face in the ring is yourself. Just something to think about.

 

[Danny]

Good stuff! I was wondering who all of these new AEG kids were at Ankush's wedding. Get rid of those black chadre and go back to silver/white. The stage lighting reflects much better and makes everything overall pop.

Also, seriously think about bringing back the white gloves...the OG's were on to something with that idea.