Bruin 2012 Results

[achintchani]

I did not talk to anyone on Empire, but I heard from multiple sources that cost of the Empire routine was just under 10k, and EVERY single dancer there was talking about it, so let's not rip Jatt08 too hard now guys. He's just relaying what we were all discussing backstage.


For clarification, Rigging in general will run around 3-4k, high end rigging closer to 8k (labor, equipment, insurance, etc). Keep in mind we're also in Hollywood and I believe they got hollywood-quality rigging so it was going to be on the higher end.


I don't know the exact number , but make no mistake, that entire set did cost thousands of dollars, and it raises interesting questions. To ask those questions isn't being a hater, it's asking what that means for bhangra teams. If a live team spent thousands of dollars to bring in the unquestionable best ustaads from india to play/sing for them would we care as much? We'd probably be proud and excited, and I think that's unfair. I would understand the argument that the band is integral to the dancing for live teams, but I'd counter that there are talented artists in canada and US, and that bringing the Indian artists is to fulfill a once-in-lifetime opportunity. Same thing here, no?


Whether spending a ton of money is good or bad, I have no opinion. If you have money, I see no reason not to spend it. Empire has been flown to DC twice, and gone to London, done music Videos, millions of youtube hits, etc. I think it was more about doing something we've all talked or dreamed of rather than the win itself. It's not about winning just for winning with them, it's about doing everything they can maintain the legacy of Empire, I absolutely can't find fault in that, and I don't think the rigging is why they won (but more on that in a separate post)

well said

 

[achintchani]

speaking of empire's rigging, i would not be surprised if it did cost around 10,000. Many times these venues do not have their own people who can rig people to be lifted in the air like that (or brought down in empire's case)- that requires outside riggers to be hired, which is much more expensive than just 3-4grand.

 

[kiren116]

ask any audience member what they remember from that routine. "ceiling dholi."

uh. i remember the kids coming out like magic. it was straight magic.

 

[Jacquizz Rogers]

anyone have reviews for the teams/competition?

 

[jfried]

I'll throw one up when I get a chance.

 

[voxanimus]

here's mine for the teams i got to see (everyone except BK and ABC). warning: very subjective evaluation to follow.


FCB - pretty standard routine, it looked quite similar to the routine they did for bruin last year. a good amount of prop throwing and whatnot. they ended with their signature baithka move.

• DRP - they had a 5 girl, 6 man tower at the beginning. some crazy shit. then they did this thing where they built a balcony with a window on it and carried the entire contraption like a palanquin onto the stage. definitely stepped up their perfomance from previous years; hell, even from this year. they’ve improved.
• Empire - they pulled out all the stops. they had like 500 gimmicks, and each one was mad crazy. they suspended their dholi from the ceiling. they even had magic tricks; a guy and a girl stood on top of a box and held up a square curtain that covered them on all sides, so that you could just see their heads. then they threw up the curtain, and vanished, and in their place were two little kids.
• Gabroo Punjabis - this is one of the best live teams in america, and the performance showed that. it was just mad clean. choreo was on point too, and the synchronicity was out of this world. singer and dholi were legit, and i was, as usual, in love with their signature instrumentation.
• SMD - their set was similar to their Elite set, but they did this thing with lights that was wicked. each dancer had his or her vardi outlined in led lights and they timed them to go on and off at particular times. super sick and super hard to put together.
• Cal - i wasn’t too wowed by this. it was, in many ways, the same set they’ve been doing since bulldog/nachda. it was still clean and well executed though.
• TAG coed - they had the hardest set of the night but it was also very different. there were a lot of moves that could only loosely be considered actual bhangra. the pace was also almost frenzied. they ended with an avengers gimmick that i honestly thought was super lame.
• AEG - they did a lot of stuff they did at elite, except for their light-toss gimmick, which was an upgraded version of their gimmick from last year’s bruin. they also included a girl from SMD, like they’ve been doing since boston this year.

 

[voxanimus]

FCB - pretty standard routine, it looked quite similar to the routine they did for bruin last year. a good amount of prop throwing and whatnot. they ended with their signature baithka move.

Thanks for the love

hey i didn't say i didn't like it! it was still sick.

 

[babygoose]

• DRP - they had a 5 girl, 6 man tower at the beginning. some crazy shit. then they did this thing where they built a balcony with a window on it and carried the entire contraption like a palanquin onto the stage. definitely stepped up their perfomance from previous years; hell, even from this year. they’ve improved.

i think you're the first person to ever use the word palanquin on BTF

 

[metalgearpaneer]

haha haters always hate.


I was literally cheesing the entire time watching Empire's video, so so good and insanely creative. Regardless of what people say, your routine clearly makes you happy on stage and it definitely makes a ton of people out there happy as well, and that's what it's all about. Keep doing what you do.


Btw, from your routine if you guys can magically turn me into a kid again too, please PM me Shout out to Kiranjit

 

[voxanimus]

• DRP - they had a 5 girl, 6 man tower at the beginning. some crazy shit. then they did this thing where they built a balcony with a window on it and carried the entire contraption like a palanquin onto the stage. definitely stepped up their perfomance from previous years; hell, even from this year. they’ve improved.

i think you're the first person to ever use the word palanquin on BTF

i was going to say catafalque but no one knows what that is

 

[squashes]

Personally I wasn't a big fan of empire's set...
It just wasn't what I come to see when I watch a bhangra performance.
Lotsa entertainment factor and cleanliness though, can't take that away from them

 

[sgrewal30]

• DRP - they had a 5 girl, 6 man tower at the beginning. some crazy shit. then they did this thing where they built a balcony with a window on it and carried the entire contraption like a palanquin onto the stage. definitely stepped up their perfomance from previous years; hell, even from this year. they’ve improved.

i think you're the first person to ever use the word palanquin on BTF

i was going to say catafalque but no one knows what that is

i disagree... they stepped up with gimmicks, but their dancing still looks the same in my opinion.. and i feel like their placing had more to do with their gimmicks/crowd support/formations than quality of individual dancing. I'd like to see more control in their dancing, it looked very sloppy to me. Hands were everywhere and their style seems to vary from person to person.

 

[Shawn13]

In my opinion ABC should have came first !

 

[Eeshan]

I'm a bit late to this and props to all the teams, but does anyone else think BK got robbed of at least a placing??

 

[jfried]

I'm a bit late to this and props to all the teams, but does anyone else think BK got robbed of at least a placing??

Yup. I guessed BK 1st, AEG 2nd and Empire 3rd. Was wrong.