sangeensingh
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Someone hook up a HQ version!vibsterrr said:
-
Bhangra discussion is still going strong. Join us in our Facebook group!
New user registration has been closed (as it was entirely spam). We encourage you to post in our Facebook group, even if it's a followup to an existing thread. BTF will continue to be archived and hosted here - Saleem
Bhangra Empire @ Bruin Bhangra 2013 (GTV)
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ramv88
www.dholiram.com
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Great set Omer!
I was backstage during this performance and could hear the crowd loving it-- 5:25 - 5:35 was sick! Shutout to Joda, Shelley, Jigish, Danish, Fahad, Puneet, KJ, Manish, Tanjeev, Nav and the rest of the team for an awesome performance. Have fun at VIBC.
- Dholi Ram
I was backstage during this performance and could hear the crowd loving it-- 5:25 - 5:35 was sick! Shutout to Joda, Shelley, Jigish, Danish, Fahad, Puneet, KJ, Manish, Tanjeev, Nav and the rest of the team for an awesome performance. Have fun at VIBC.
- Dholi Ram
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- 1,459
GSingh said:sangeensingh said:
Awesome song! Thanks for posting it up guys.
Congrats to Empire on a good performance. I would agree with the general consensus here that if they could bring in new elements into their dancing (to seem less "robotic"), that would put them over the top since their creativity can never be questioned. Also, I'm sure going 1st in the show didn't help their cause either - we all know the "issues" of judges being more neutral with the scoring of the teams that perform toward the beginning.
~ Basim
P.S. - Does anyone know where the beat from 6:10-6:20 is from? I swear that I've have heard it many times before and I probably have it on my PC somewhere - just can't seem to find it.
DamanSingh
Member
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Basim said:
Mackelmore - Thrift Shop
amancheema
Active Member
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:/faizan said:
razorhedge
Member
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I hate traditionalists coz they almost always remind me of Bill O Reilly. They are stuck in their old ways and will find a way to complain about anything that doesn't fit their perception of an art.
Every art needs to evolve with time. Variety is a necessity. If every bhangra team did things the same way, how would there be any excitement.
Bhangra Empire should continue to build on their style despite the negative opinions they get from other dance teams. They have the biggest fan base and that proves a lot/
Sick performance!
Every art needs to evolve with time. Variety is a necessity. If every bhangra team did things the same way, how would there be any excitement.
Bhangra Empire should continue to build on their style despite the negative opinions they get from other dance teams. They have the biggest fan base and that proves a lot/
Sick performance!
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I personally feel everytime a topic where Bhangra Empire is mentioned or one of their performance videos is posted, we have people that will continue to say their style dance is not "real bhangra"/robotic (which even I mentioned above)/too gimicky/etc etc.
The bottom line is though, the BTF crowd is amongst the minority in the global bhangra audience. The majority of people here have a lot more knowledge on bhangra as a dance form/art than others who simply attend shows as audience members - many of whom watch a lot of team performances for very first time this year. They have no idea what has or hasn't been recycled from previous performances, they have no idea if a team has "stole" a move/gimmick from someone else, etc.
One thing you can never take away from this team are their accomplishments - both within the bhangra circuit or outside of it. Among the "major" stuff: they have placed at 20+ competitions, have performed in front of the President of the United States & First Lady, have been on America's Got Talent, have performed at numerous at NBA & MLB games, they offer dance classes to a variety of age groups at FOUR different locations/dance studios, they have performed in England, and more recently performed in the country of Bahrain at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. I'm not even listing "smaller" things they do/have done constantly - that is quite a resume if you ask me!
I don't feel BE's target audience is only the North America bhangra circuit. They are thinking globally and their exposure goes well beyond those that have any sort of bhangra knowledge - they have over fifty five thousand "likes" on their facebook page, yes you read that correctly - 55,000+! This very video was posted on their facebook page on Saturday and they have already received nearly 900 likes & over 100 comments on it.
So you can sit here all day and say that the could have incorporated lehria, punjab, mirza, faslaan, bedi, phumnian, etc etc much better in this set, but I doubt they are going make drastic changes. I, too, would love to see more "folk" moves incorporated in their set, but I think their sets are geared more toward overall entertainment than just perfect execution of traditional bhangra moves (much like you'd see in a LIVE team).
Anyway, I watch their sets to marvel at their creativity (with moves, formations, gimmicks, their mix, etc) and "flawless" execution - not to watch them perform traditional moves. It's no surprise to me that when my non-bhangra team friends are exposed to the dance, they always seem to stumble upon a Bhangra Empire performance, get awed, then proceed to ask me if I've heard of the team before
~ Basim
The bottom line is though, the BTF crowd is amongst the minority in the global bhangra audience. The majority of people here have a lot more knowledge on bhangra as a dance form/art than others who simply attend shows as audience members - many of whom watch a lot of team performances for very first time this year. They have no idea what has or hasn't been recycled from previous performances, they have no idea if a team has "stole" a move/gimmick from someone else, etc.
One thing you can never take away from this team are their accomplishments - both within the bhangra circuit or outside of it. Among the "major" stuff: they have placed at 20+ competitions, have performed in front of the President of the United States & First Lady, have been on America's Got Talent, have performed at numerous at NBA & MLB games, they offer dance classes to a variety of age groups at FOUR different locations/dance studios, they have performed in England, and more recently performed in the country of Bahrain at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. I'm not even listing "smaller" things they do/have done constantly - that is quite a resume if you ask me!
I don't feel BE's target audience is only the North America bhangra circuit. They are thinking globally and their exposure goes well beyond those that have any sort of bhangra knowledge - they have over fifty five thousand "likes" on their facebook page, yes you read that correctly - 55,000+! This very video was posted on their facebook page on Saturday and they have already received nearly 900 likes & over 100 comments on it.
So you can sit here all day and say that the could have incorporated lehria, punjab, mirza, faslaan, bedi, phumnian, etc etc much better in this set, but I doubt they are going make drastic changes. I, too, would love to see more "folk" moves incorporated in their set, but I think their sets are geared more toward overall entertainment than just perfect execution of traditional bhangra moves (much like you'd see in a LIVE team).
Anyway, I watch their sets to marvel at their creativity (with moves, formations, gimmicks, their mix, etc) and "flawless" execution - not to watch them perform traditional moves. It's no surprise to me that when my non-bhangra team friends are exposed to the dance, they always seem to stumble upon a Bhangra Empire performance, get awed, then proceed to ask me if I've heard of the team before
~ Basim
DamanSingh
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- 849
Well said, Basim.
I agree; I don't think anyone should be telling Empire to change their style. It has served them well over the past few years, taking them from the White House to the Grand Prix in Bahrain, and has given them (by far) the largest fan base of any team in the circuit. Their unique, entertaining style allows them to appeal to audiences that may not appreciate more traditional bhangra sets. They have done a great deal to popularize bhangra (regardless of whether you think their dancing qualifies as "real" bhangra or not).
This was a very clean and entertaining performance.
I agree; I don't think anyone should be telling Empire to change their style. It has served them well over the past few years, taking them from the White House to the Grand Prix in Bahrain, and has given them (by far) the largest fan base of any team in the circuit. Their unique, entertaining style allows them to appeal to audiences that may not appreciate more traditional bhangra sets. They have done a great deal to popularize bhangra (regardless of whether you think their dancing qualifies as "real" bhangra or not).
This was a very clean and entertaining performance.
Sue Sylvester
kinnell
- Messages
- 467
Empire built its namesake based on two things: creative, well-executed gimmicks and superior cleanliness. (If I was to acknowledge a third factor, it would be creative formations).
In regards to gimmicks, the rest of the circuit can still learn a lot from Empire. They are not only well-thought out, but executed perfectly, from the set-up to the actual trick to the final dismantle. As Harkiran pointed out, they take that extra step to make sure that their ideas are still fresh. It's not like they're just taking throwing khundey up in the air to a different level like a good portion of the circuit still tries to do year after year, but some novel and unique concepts.
In this specific performance, I was not a fan of the bharatnatyam nor the rolling gimmick. (In my opinion, having 1-2 dancers showcase a different dance style feels disjunct from the flow of the routine and the style of the dance). Also, both involved everyone else taking a breather and they weren't really that impressive. The head gimmick could have been better (more lip singing would have been better). The glow in the dark saap stuff was great, but it would have been better to transition into the saap segment right there and then. Jump-roping during jumps was definitely cool, but my heart has already been given to Joey Zuniga back in Elite 8 2010 for doing the worm during jump roping. None the less, some fresh ideas.
In regards to cleanliness, times have changed and teams have improved. In the past, the "folk" movement was sloppy and difficult to be as clean. The style was loose and lacked control & precision. There was a component of individual nakhra which many teams overdid which only contributed to more messiness. Empire's style, while robotic, was super clean, less prone to mistakes and could still be energetic. At any given competition, Empire dominated because they were significantly cleaner than everyone else there and their gimmicks guaranteed the gold. But then, teams like VCU, JJ, Jawani Warriors, UNC, BK, Cal Bhangra..etc began to dance with command/grace and have shown that it is possible to be just as clean without having to be robotic/straight arms. In a nutshell, teams began working hard, standardizing the style, dancing like a team (RIP OD nakhra wooot!) and simply smartened up on what looks clean and what doesn't.
With that, Empire's dancing these days just doesn't look as impressive any more because while still one of the cleanest teams out there, other teams are 80-90% just as clean with a style that many are starting to think is more aesthetically pleasing. (And to a judges point of view, Empire's style/choreography will be viewed as easier which may level the playing field or put these other teams at an advantage). Also, Empire puts itself at a disadvantage by not maximizing on the variety that exists in "folk" bhangra these days. The routine is high energy the entire time and without contrasting with graceful segments, it's easy to forget how high energy they really are (and the dancing is prone to get boring as well).
Other teams may not have the gimmicks that Empire brings to the table, but Empire has lost an important advantage in their domination in years past. I do think Empire should have placed (especially at Bruin) after watching the placing teams - the performance was entertaining and clean. I do think that the judging panel may have had more to do with that than anything else. (Nothing scandalous, just personal preferences of the judges there) Regardless, hoping to see Empire take the recent losses to heart and take their style to the next level.
In regards to gimmicks, the rest of the circuit can still learn a lot from Empire. They are not only well-thought out, but executed perfectly, from the set-up to the actual trick to the final dismantle. As Harkiran pointed out, they take that extra step to make sure that their ideas are still fresh. It's not like they're just taking throwing khundey up in the air to a different level like a good portion of the circuit still tries to do year after year, but some novel and unique concepts.
In this specific performance, I was not a fan of the bharatnatyam nor the rolling gimmick. (In my opinion, having 1-2 dancers showcase a different dance style feels disjunct from the flow of the routine and the style of the dance). Also, both involved everyone else taking a breather and they weren't really that impressive. The head gimmick could have been better (more lip singing would have been better). The glow in the dark saap stuff was great, but it would have been better to transition into the saap segment right there and then. Jump-roping during jumps was definitely cool, but my heart has already been given to Joey Zuniga back in Elite 8 2010 for doing the worm during jump roping. None the less, some fresh ideas.
In regards to cleanliness, times have changed and teams have improved. In the past, the "folk" movement was sloppy and difficult to be as clean. The style was loose and lacked control & precision. There was a component of individual nakhra which many teams overdid which only contributed to more messiness. Empire's style, while robotic, was super clean, less prone to mistakes and could still be energetic. At any given competition, Empire dominated because they were significantly cleaner than everyone else there and their gimmicks guaranteed the gold. But then, teams like VCU, JJ, Jawani Warriors, UNC, BK, Cal Bhangra..etc began to dance with command/grace and have shown that it is possible to be just as clean without having to be robotic/straight arms. In a nutshell, teams began working hard, standardizing the style, dancing like a team (RIP OD nakhra wooot!) and simply smartened up on what looks clean and what doesn't.
With that, Empire's dancing these days just doesn't look as impressive any more because while still one of the cleanest teams out there, other teams are 80-90% just as clean with a style that many are starting to think is more aesthetically pleasing. (And to a judges point of view, Empire's style/choreography will be viewed as easier which may level the playing field or put these other teams at an advantage). Also, Empire puts itself at a disadvantage by not maximizing on the variety that exists in "folk" bhangra these days. The routine is high energy the entire time and without contrasting with graceful segments, it's easy to forget how high energy they really are (and the dancing is prone to get boring as well).
Other teams may not have the gimmicks that Empire brings to the table, but Empire has lost an important advantage in their domination in years past. I do think Empire should have placed (especially at Bruin) after watching the placing teams - the performance was entertaining and clean. I do think that the judging panel may have had more to do with that than anything else. (Nothing scandalous, just personal preferences of the judges there) Regardless, hoping to see Empire take the recent losses to heart and take their style to the next level.
Sue Sylvester
kinnell
- Messages
- 467
Basim, I do agree with you and I have expressed that same mentality many times on BTF. (More so in the scope of the need for a team to dance like a team, rather than style) But yeah, in the very end, it is about the bigger picture - the global audience and the legacy you and your team will leave behind that may or may not be remembered.Basim said:I personally feel everytime a topic where Bhangra Empire is mentioned or one of their performance videos is posted, we have people that will continue to say their style dance is not "real bhangra"/robotic (which even I mentioned above)/too gimicky/etc etc.
The bottom line is though, the BTF crowd is amongst the minority in the global bhangra audience. The majority of people here have a lot more knowledge on bhangra as a dance form/art than others who simply attend shows as audience members - many of whom watch a lot of team performances for very first time this year. They have no idea what has or hasn't been recycled from previous performances, they have no idea if a team has "stole" a move/gimmick from someone else, etc.
One thing you can never take away from this team are their accomplishments - both within the bhangra circuit or outside of it. Among the "major" stuff: they have placed at 20+ competitions, have performed in front of the President of the United States & First Lady, have been on America's Got Talent, have performed at numerous at NBA & MLB games, they offer dance classes to a variety of age groups at FOUR different locations/dance studios, they have performed in England, and more recently performed in the country of Bahrain at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. I'm not even listing "smaller" things they do/have done constantly - that is quite a resume if you ask me!
I don't feel BE's target audience is only the North America bhangra circuit. They are thinking globally and their exposure goes well beyond those that have any sort of bhangra knowledge - they have over fifty five thousand "likes" on their facebook page, yes you read that correctly - 55,000+! This very video was posted on their facebook page on Saturday and they have already received nearly 900 likes & over 100 comments on it.
So you can sit here all day and say that the could have incorporated lehria, punjab, mirza, faslaan, bedi, phumnian, etc etc much better in this set, but I doubt they are going make drastic changes. I, too, would love to see more "folk" moves incorporated in their set, but I think their sets are geared more toward overall entertainment than just perfect execution of traditional bhangra moves (much like you'd see in a LIVE team).
Anyway, I watch their sets to marvel at their creativity (with moves, formations, gimmicks, their mix, etc) and "flawless" execution - not to watch them perform traditional moves. It's no surprise to me that when my non-bhangra team friends are exposed to the dance, they always seem to stumble upon a Bhangra Empire performance, get awed, then proceed to ask me if I've heard of the team before
~ Basim
However, two points.
1. Difficulty/variation of moves. The style and choreography of Empire is easier. The difficulty and variation of steps isn't lost on the audience, whether they are 14 year old ballerinas or gujarathi grandmothers. I may not have majored in Dance in college, but I come from an extensive, eclectic dance background in general. There is a natural appreciation for difficulty of choreography that is universal and not dependent on knowledge in a specific type of dance, especially in group dances. Dance styles like modern that are more fluid (and thus more difficult to synchronize) will get more respect than those styles that are more stiff that may seem easier.
2. Audience. Had this been a performance in front of the White House or some non-bhangra competition, I would share your sentiment. But this was performance at a bhangra competition, so we are critiquing the performance in the scope of that. The performance will no doubt get a lot of global love, but their dancing style is not the only factor in their rise to popularity and their current popularity. There were a lot of other things that played a factor in their global popularity (including mind-blowing gimmicks, winning big competitions, successful marketing, networking..etc).
Jacquizz Rogers
New Member
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0:42 ---> first time there's been saap double-clicks in an empire routine?!?!?!
nonetheless, very entertaining performance. well done..
nonetheless, very entertaining performance. well done..
Armaan Kapoor
Member
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- 77
Anyone know the song from 3:40 - 4:15?
DamanSingh
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