Saturday nights for many students often mean going to a bar, hanging out with friends or spending the night in front of a television. Few willingly walk into a blizzard.
With Buffalo finally hitting its winter stride, UB's Bhangra Club is doing everything they can to turn up the heat at the Center for the Arts this weekend with their second annual Bhangra Blizzard dance competition. This year's event, set for Saturday night, will see 14 teams from around the nation vying for $3,250 in prizes, with a grand prize of $1,500.
The Bhangra Club is Student Association group that features assorted types of Indian dance, focusing on Bhangra, which originated in the Indian state of Punjab. Along with other dance moves, Bhangra is often recognized in the song by Jay-Z and Punjabi MC, "Beware of the Boys," a mix of traditional Indian music and the Knight Rider bass line that was a club hit in 2003.
Reshma Shah, the president of the Bhangra Club, said a lot of teams from last year are excited to come back.
"Due to the great reviews from last year, we have a lot more competitors this year," Shah said. "This is a huge event, where a lot of teams coming from around the nation will show some culture through South Asian dance."
Jennie Fernando, the Bhangra Club secretary said, "This competition is different than other dance competitions. Usually, a dance show is quiet and polite, people just sit and watch. But this event will be different because it attracts a very lively audience. People will be dancing in the aisles."
The competition will start at 6 p.m., but the festivities will last all weekend. A kickoff dinner will be held at Harriman Hall on Friday at 5 p.m. During this event, team members, families and friends are welcomed to mingle and meet new people before the competition.
According to Fernando, UB will not be competing in the show because it is tradition for the hosting school not to compete. Instead, the UB Bhangra Team will be giving the audience a taste of how Buffalo performs this dance form.
Harkiran Singh, a junior chemistry major and member of the team, said although this weekend offers many chances to socialize, the events share a larger purpose.
"The Bhangra Blizzard brings cultural awareness to Buffalo. Bhangra fans and people who don't know about the Indian dance, come together to watch an exciting choreographed show," said Singh.
Fernando said that people could look forward to seeing bright, vibrant costumes and electrifying performances.
According to Shah, the competitors at Saturday's performance will include acts from University of California, Columbia University, and everywhere in between. All 14 teams bring with them a different style and technique with hopes of leaving with a trophy.
"You should come if you're looking to see well established, well-known teams who can perform really well. It will be pretty hot," Singh said.
An awards ceremony will follow the performances delivering the cash prizes and trophies to the top competitors.
The Saturday night celebration is not over when the curtains close on stage. An after-party will follow the competition at the Town Ballroom at 681 Main St. in downtown Buffalo.
Three different DJ's will provide music to please the musical taste of everyone in attendance. All tickets can be purchased at the Sub Board I ticket office and at the door of each event. Tickets for the kickoff dinner are $5 and the after party tickets are $10. Bhangra Blizzard tickets are on sale for $12 at the Center for the Arts ticket office
