By Tansy Cai
“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”
With exposure to a variety of cultures, twenty two year old Rebecca Johal and twenty year old Amrita Johal are competitive Bhangra (upbeat South Asian folk dance) dancers. Their participation in Bhangra is definitely influenced by their parents, who are from East India. After moving to England, their parents eventually settled in Canada, where both sisters were born. From attending work and watching Punjabi TV shows with their mother, Rebecca and Amrita were inspired to try something new from their culture.
“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”
With exposure to a variety of cultures, twenty two year old Rebecca Johal and twenty year old Amrita Johal are competitive Bhangra (upbeat South Asian folk dance) dancers. Their participation in Bhangra is definitely influenced by their parents, who are from East India. After moving to England, their parents eventually settled in Canada, where both sisters were born. From attending work and watching Punjabi TV shows with their mother, Rebecca and Amrita were inspired to try something new from their culture.
When both sisters started their studies at Simon Fraser University (SFU), they were presented with the valuable opportunity to participate in an all girls Bhangra team. At first, Rebecca and Amrita joined the Jawani competitive dance group mainly for a novel experience and as a means of getting an active workout. Eventually, their dedicated and passionate coach sparked their interest in Bhangra, so they were motivated to compete around Canada and the United States. The diligent sisters would strengthen their stamina by intensifying their training. Now, they practice about ten to fifteen hours weekly, in addition to performing at fundraisers and weddings. Generally, competition routines are seven to ten minutes long, using required props and incorporating stunts throughout. Rebecca and Amrita always try their best to inspire audiences with the flowing energy and passion of Bhangra.
After the experience of their first competition, the Johal sisters immediately realized that Bhangra is something that they plan to do even after graduating from SFU. They were very grateful of their coach, who spent extra time in perfecting their dances, so that they could compete and perform around the Lower Mainland. Currently, Rebecca and Amrita are assembling a routine and practising for their next two competitions that will be staged in California and in Las Vegas in the coming spring. We wish these two energetic young ladies good luck on their competitions and much success in their dancing careers!
After the experience of their first competition, the Johal sisters immediately realized that Bhangra is something that they plan to do even after graduating from SFU. They were very grateful of their coach, who spent extra time in perfecting their dances, so that they could compete and perform around the Lower Mainland. Currently, Rebecca and Amrita are assembling a routine and practising for their next two competitions that will be staged in California and in Las Vegas in the coming spring. We wish these two energetic young ladies good luck on their competitions and much success in their dancing careers!