Lesson Plan

 

Introduction (1-2 minutes):
I would like to start the lesson with a greeting and by asking if anyone in the group has heard of Bhangra. Following this, I will give a brief historical overview and introduction to what we will be doing for the day:

Bhangra is a folk dance that originates from Punjab. It was said to have started out as a dance performed during the harvest festival Vaisakhi and has since changed over time. As is the nature with folk dances, steps aren’t required to be precise like you might see in classical dances such as ballet, and many fusion versions have been emerging in modern times. That being said, keeping in time with the beat does help to make your dance look cleaner so we will be aiming for that.

What I want to introduce today are steps that you can take with you to perform at events or parties during which there is an open dance floor. The steps I have chosen are ones I’ve learned from my dance instructor, Binder Basi, as well as YouTube videos from various dancers over the years.

The Beat (1 minute):
Bhangra music tends to follow a predictable and continuous beat. If anyone is in music, it’s in four-four time. To start, let’s try clapping in beat with the music. When you’re ever in doubt, clapping along is a perfectly acceptable dance step.
Dhol Jageero Da

Before jumping in (1 minute):
Some Bhangra 101 tips to remember while dancing are:
- Try to bounce by going up and down on your tip toes. This will help your energy.
- Try to shrug your shoulders as much as possible. It helps to make you look (and hopefully feel) natural.
- Open your arms as much as possible. This will add a presence to your dance.
- The most important one - Smile!
And finally, remember to have fun. The point of dance is to express yourself and Bhangra is specifically a joyous folk dance so don’t worry too much about the details.

Teaching (interactive; 5-6 minutes):
3 steps (depending on time) demonstration and practice:
Step 1 description:
Snap down to the right, snap down to the left, snap up to the right, snap up to the left.
Step 2 description:
Clap to the left, clap to the right, bring your hands down for two.
Step 3 description:
Swing to the right for two and swing to the left for two.
Try with music: Dhol Jageero Da

Try the steps without me + share links (if we have time):

Older style:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y0iLOfjdaQ

Traditional and fusion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-LFksC1Nc

Fusion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2TDtA0Hk_M

 

Reflection:

Based on comments and my own feelings of the lesson, I thought the biggest problem was that I went a little "off-script" and introduced all three steps instead of stopping at 2 like I had rehearsed. This cut into my question/wrap-up period which would have been a better use of time. I was also unexpectedly scatterbrained when switching between the beat counting and doing the steps. That isn't exactly something I could have planned for but allowing for more wiggle-space would have helped with that too. Other than that, the teaching of the actual steps went well and everyone was more in sync than I would have expected over Zoom! Like Ivan pointed out, it would have been more fun and interactive if I had used videos as well but considering the time, I didn't want to risk technical glitches.