Should I continue doing Bhangra ?

[Gurraaj]

So I wanted to ask this as I have really started to think that it's better for me to leave Bhangra now. I know you'll be laughing when you read this but I just want to express myself to you guys and see if can get something useful out of this post.
So here is the story, I have been doing Bhangra for like 8 months now, I am on a collegiate team. I did not used to dance before this. Our team has 2 parts that is the A team ( the one that performs in big competitions) and the B team ( who we all know are like the backend people who do not perform in competitions). I was selected into the team from wait list. According to me and a lot of others I made a lot of progress in the first semester and I really think I have a good and better form as compared to a lot of A team members. I am on the B team since the beginning by the way. But it is my stamina that has disappointed me and I have not been able to get over it. Recently we had tryouts for the Ateam again and also new team members were recruited just a month ago. And during tryouts I knew that they had 1 spot left in a team but they picked a guy who joined a month ago over me.
It is kind of my dream to at least perform in one of the competitions and the decision during tryouts just demotivated me even more. And I just don't feel like I can ever break into the A team.
So here is my story. What is your say on this? Please don't take this negatively. I hope someone can relate to what I am saying

 

[shwinerz]

In the nicest way man, you should be doing bhangra because you love it. Period. I know people who dance with no teams anywhere near them geographically and then they move cities and join a team later. They dance because they love and enjoy the dance.


If you really want to compete that bad, practise, its not about how long you've been doing it its about how much effort you put in. If stamina is an issue, train like mad and increase it so your captains have no choice but to pick you. There are plenty of people on this forum experienced enough to give feedback, record videos of yourself, post them up and ask for feedback. Thats how I improved, and thats how a load of others have too.

 

[Yesh]

and I really think I have a good and better form as compared to a lot of A team members.

^^I really suggest you don't assume things such as this! Only other's can really compare you to other dancers, so keep working on your form as well!

If I were you, definitely trust your captains that they made the right decision. They do not want to throw you into something that you would struggle to handle!

Continue working hard, you'll get to the A team eventually! But definitely don't quit if you love dancing!

 

[Reeeeda]

We've all been there - don't stop dancing because of a setback!!! Use your not being selected for the "A-team" as motivation to better your dancing. Even if you believe that your form is better than some of the others, that doesn't mean you yourself don't have room to improve - there is always room to be better. Also, keep in mind that your captain(s) are considering multiple things outside of your form (ie your style in comparison to the rest of the competitive team, etc) - ask for feedback on what they want to see you improve on if you haven't already.

You said yourself that you're disappointed in your stamina, so start there in terms of next steps - stamina is vital for you to do well on stage and it will take some time and consistent practice to build up. Keep at it, be patient and continue working hard. Once the opportunity for you to dance on stage comes, it will be that much sweeter - I promise.

Good luck!

 

[Howie Magz]

On MBT we have both a A and B team as well that is structured similarly to your description. We have had three people move from B-team to the A team this past semester and they are a important reason why we have been placing recently. I have alsi pulled guest dancers over my own dancers who should be on stage in order to have better shots of placing as well. I understand the frustration of not dancing on stage. It sucks when you know you are a better dancer than someone else. If you know what your worth you have to really work harder to make that squad. Someone will eventually see it. Speak to your captains about this. Do they know that you may quit? Don't quit Bhangra because you didn't make a squad this time around. You're going to encounter a lot more tougher challenges in life than just not making a A squad on your Bhangra team. If you truly love this dance you will work that much harder to prove how good of a dancer you are. If not then you really don't want to dance as much as you are stating in this post.

 

[Raghavtrip]

Definitely agree with everything that's been said already--on Spartan Bhangra we have a relatively large team (~30) with 12 people dancing. Like Howie said, we've also had people move from non-dancing to dancing between competitions and have pulled in guest dancers over our own dancers who don't know the choreo for better shots of placing. I also started off not dancing, and I was really frustrated about it for my first semester. It definitely sucks to practice so hard and not make the dancing squad.


That being said, part of the beauty of bhangra is how easy it is to improve just from (a) practicing and (b) watching and emulating better dancers. You mentioned that you hadn't danced before you picked up bhangra a couple months ago, which is testimony to how fast you've improved. Use the fire from not being selected for the dancing squad for this comp to push yourself to improve more over the next weeks of practice.


Also, don't be afraid to ask your captains/choreographers what you can improve. They want the best for the team just as you do, and they'll definitely be more than willing to help you improve and give you specific critiques that you might have otherwise missed. It sucks to not be selected for the dancing team and then end up comparing yourself to your friends who did get selected to dance, so try to be as proactive as you can in seeking criticism from the captains and other decisionmakers to avoid that trap.


Most importantly, definitely don't quit. If you keep working as hard as you are now, I guarantee within a couple months you'll be looking back at this and laughing about the fact that you thought to quit something you love so much. At the end of the day, I promise this setback will undoubtedly make you a stronger person and a stronger dancer for years to come.

 

[nikhil95]

I think everyone else was on the money about talking to the captains. As a captain, your team is like your family and it hurts to lose a member regardless of whether they are on the A team or B team. I'm sure the captains have things you should work on, in order to make that cut in the future for the A squad. Working with them throughout this semester, outside of practice if possible, or just one on one will help so much. That way you know exactly what they are looking for and they can help you change to match their needs. Lastly don't be disheartened, it is still your first year you will have many more opportunities moving forward

 

[nikkikesav]

Hey!

Along with what others have said about talking to the captains (SO important), progress does also come from your individual effort. You know you have worked hard to improve and the fact that your captains and fellow team members have acknowledged that shows that they are taking notice of your progress. Having that said, stamina is HUGE. Dancers can have the best form but it doesn't matter if they can't keep that up for the x minute set. That is the number one thing you can do to fix this situation: improve your weakness. If you can do that, and your form is still great, you're golden. Improve so much that they have no choice to secure you on the A team. Keep at it though; good Bhangra is the cumulative product of LOTS of practice.
Plus, bhangra is fun--you know you'd miss late night practices and team outings if you quit

Good luck!

 

[Shastri]

Also, think about it this way: If you exercise, do enough runthroughs, and train your body, your problem is fixed. If you really do believe your form is better, and your stamina is your weakness, then it isn't that the captains don't think you are an inadequate dancer. They just haven't seen you in your best shape! So just put in the work (exercise, runthroughs, healthy eating, sleep) to have enough endurance for the set and you'll kill it in practice and on stage!

And regardless of whether it is your form or your endurance, I have seen dancers become exponentially better within a very short amount of time because they stopped feeling bad about their dancing and realized that it's all about improvement and striving to be better. If you really love the dance, then you'll be interested in learning how to dance better. Stop looking at your weaker areas as deficiencies and start looking at them as areas for improvement. Learn from those around you who possess the skills that you can work on. What's holding you down isn't your dancing ability, because I'm sure you're an amazing dancer. What's holding you down is your mentality.

 

[SGupta7]

I can relate to you man. I was also on the "B team" the first year I started dancing. I mean I was a really really terrible dancer haha. But the team became my family and my support system and I worked my ass off and have gotten to compete at pretty much every major competition in North America since then. If you love bhangra and you love your team, it's worth it.


Another thing worth noting, I wouldn't have improved if I hadn't gone out of my way to talk to the older kids on the team and ask for their advice and ask for them to watch my videos and critique me. I would also try to go to as many of the A team practices as I could and just dance in the corner or sit at the front and watch how the more experienced dancers went about practicing. So if you wanna reach your potential you gotta put in the time and you have to be okay with being critiqued. No dancer gets it perfectly right on the first try, so stick with it!

 

[Gurmandanceacademy]

All I can say man is DO NOT GIVE UP!. When I was old enough to be on a team nobody wanted me. I have a lot of health problems and some of those health problems 16 years later I still have. I used to help my coach teach in his basement to learn. After a while I noticed nobody really wants me so I went and started my own team and school. I gave kids an opportunity to be on stage and be able to do what I was not able to. Then my team was finally built now everyone is older and I have created a senior team and am getting a lot of support from people who barely know me compared to the ones who know me from day one. I am not saying go start a school. All I am saying is if something is not working make an extra effort to change it. Keep going and eventually things will turn around for you. In regards to stamina all you can do is push yourself to improve. DO NOT think of it as a mountain you have to climb. Think of it as stairs and that every week you have to set a goal and try to reach it. Watch these teams on youtube try their steps and slowly keep adding steps to your audition routine. Eventually you will get used to it and will do great. TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST, TOUGH PEOPLE DO! Keep your head high and keep working towards your goals. You got it.

 

[Saab]

Just read through this and the comments. Not going to put forward a decision, though I will say it's important to dance and be happy doing it. Not just the happiness that comes from dancing, but also from being on the team outside of practice as well.

This isn't about you dancing as much as how much as it is you being happy doing it. If you aren't happy and its causing you stress, take some time to get some honest feedback from your captains and the team - it's important to get transparent feedback and level set with captains/teammates so you can move forward and get better. Just get back to a place where your happy again!