Girls and Jhummer

[kinnell]

Okay, along with Daaru, they're my three favorite things in the world, but seriously... Should girls do jhummer?

Let me explain - I know that jhummer initially was exclusively done by men and that women had a similar form called sammi. But we really don't see sammi much at all anymore and co-ed teams have been seen doing jhummer for both genders. Even initially, bhangra was a male-dominated dance but not so much anymore.

What are your opinions? If you were choreographing a co-ed or girl team, would you throw in a jhummer segment? Girls (aka Pooja, Somia, ASD team, Hkiran...etc), what are your thoughts on this?

 

[Temurzai]

i htink its fine. this also brings back the whole debate of trueee schoool FOLK tradionality (no pun intended hehe). girls traditionally didnt do most of the dances done ons tage today in the north american circuit.

but if ur targeting jhummer, why not target the other dances? i mean i doubt girls ran around villages doin dhamaal and sialkoti too, not just jhummer.


i think jhummer is sick. if u dont do jhumer, shame on you lol jhummers the best part

 

[Meistro]

I agree with Taimoor. Times have changed and girls are fine to do bhangra but in a feminine way. This has been modelled very well by many teams like VCU and 3D. Besides, a girl doing jhummar is HOT.

 

[Richa]

Because sammi and jhoomar are 2 different things but much alike (grace etc.) i do believe jhoomer in co-ed teams and all girls teams adds alot to a set pluss it takes alot of control and shifts moods ..personally i love jhoomar

 

[sulmoney]

stop being sexist kinnell

 

[Pooja]

Personally, I think jhummar is the most fun. I just do it to every song randomly in my room all the time...it's just....awesome. And I love to watch it.

And yea, I don't see why there's a difference in girls doing jhummar or phumanian or mirza or sammi or dhamaal or anything for that matter....obvs traditionally bhangra is a male dance, but now in N.A. girls do it all over the place, so jhummar is really not an exception to that...

and meistro, you WOULD think a girl doing jhummar is hot. you would.

I don't know a coed team that doesn't do jhummar...especially with guy/girl partners it looks great in my opinion.

 

[Temurzai]

Personally, I think jhummar is the most fun. I just do it to every song randomly in my room all the time...it's just....awesome. And I love to watch it.

And yea, I don't see why there's a difference in girls doing jhummar or phumanian or mirza or sammi or dhamaal or anything for that matter....obvs traditionally bhangra is a male dance, but now in N.A. girls do it all over the place, so jhummar is really not an exception to that...

and meistro, you WOULD think a girl doing jhummar is hot. you would.

I don't know a coed team that doesn't do jhummar...especially with guy/girl partners it looks great in my opinion.

1. pooja, u dont do jhummer, u do the poojaflap/chickenwing/ pari chaal allday
2. i duno if this is correct but i think someone had told me DRP mighta done a set at a comp with NO jhummer? maybe i read that on a post somewhere..i could be totally off.

 

[kinnell]

Nice. I just needed to know since I wanted to choreograph jhummer for my team and was thinking of having a jhummer tryout piece for the team.

And, Sulman, smd.

 

[Jabar Jung]

gidha

 

[mafzal]

Hey just to clarify ASD is co-ed, haha, everyone seems to think we're all-girl then they see us and they're like omg you're co-ed lol. The captains/choreo are girls, though.

Every team should do jhummar. Exactly what Taimur said, why target jhummar - might as well debate on every element of bhangra. So yeah. I see no reason to not do jhummar... I know on our team at times boys and girls have different moves in a jhummar segment, though, like when guys slap their thighs girls will do something else. Or at Groundshaker we did Yaadan and they boys did really manly moves while girls were kneeling acting out the butter churning and whatnot.

Especially for tryouts you should, because I think it can really show you what dancers have form, nakhra, AND grace!

 

[Jabar Jung]

- might as well debate on every element of bhangra.

just to clarify, Jhummer is one thing and bhangra is another thing...They are separate.

 

[mafzal]

Every element in a North American competitive bhangra routine - Bhangra as in all the dances a "bhangra team" does, which okay yeah is more than just technical bhangra. I think we all knew what I meant.

Happy?

 

[kinnell]

Thanks for these replies! And Mariam, thanks for the input!

It should be interesting to see how tryouts go. I won't be able to gauge stamina level, but I doubt I'd be able to get that much from a 1 minute piece.

 

[sulmoney]

kinnell, you wont be able to gauge stamina for the most part at all during tryouts, stamina is something that you develop over time with bhangra. i might recommend you have your normal bhangra for tryouts, then for maybe second cuts, further review, callbacks, whatever, throw in a jhummar to see if people have that grace and form to be able to perform jhummar properly

 

[kinnell]

kinnell, you wont be able to gauge stamina for the most part at all during tryouts, stamina is something that you develop over time with bhangra. i might recommend you have your normal bhangra for tryouts, then for maybe second cuts, further review, callbacks, whatever, throw in a jhummar to see if people have that grace and form to be able to perform jhummar properly

Yeah true. I guess I meant energy (My english sucks). It's harder to figure out how energetic someone will make steps with Jhummer (Its easier with Bhangra). You have a good idea though Sulman. But I doubt I will need callbacks. BTW, people will have 2 days in between to practice (YouTube video for reference) and they will come back and perform in front of a video for me. ;D

 

[abhigames]

girls can do jhummar if the guys approve.

 

[Varun]

jhummar, in its best form, is basically a man imitating a woman's characteristics in dance. this does not mean dancing like a girl, but dancing using a girl's characteristics (nakra, tohar, a little bit of haugtiness, innocence). So when a girl is dancing like a girl...you cannot see it that much and the contrast that jhummar is meant to show is really not there at all.

 

[- Raja -]

I agree with Taimoor. Times have changed and girls are fine to do bhangra but in a feminine way. This has been modelled very well by many teams like VCU and 3D. Besides, a girl doing jhummar is HOT.

i totally agree brother

 

[Harvin Singh]

Personally, I think jhummar is the most fun. I just do it to every song randomly in my room all the time...it's just....awesome. And I love to watch it.

Yeah, that's me to........jhoomar is crazy. plus it's folk as hell to which makes it even better!

 

[HarmanSingh]

Their is no point in singling out specific folk dances as being inappropriate for girls to do if they are doing "bhangra" to begin with. Obviously, if you really want to be "traditional", girls would be doing giddha only. But since girls are doing bhangra, dhammal, sialkoti, jugnim phummnia, etc., jhummar is just another folk dance they take part in.