Virginia School Of Bhangra, also known as VSB, is a relatively new group to the dance community. Unlike most teams that compete in the bhangra circuit, they are not associated with any college or university. Virginia School of Bhangra started off as a summer camp, hosted by GMU Bhangra, called “Bhangra 101.” After seeing a large turnout during the two years it was held, parents wanted a year-round bhangra program for their children. They hoped to see an increase in results, as well as getting connected to the Punjabi culture. With this growing interest, five instructors from Bhangra 101 decided to create Virginia School of Bhangra.
Aahlad Sivadev Vadrevu, also known as “Brolad,” graduated in May 2015, from University of Illinois at Chicago. He majored in Industrial Engineering because of his interest in math and science. He enjoys this broad category of engineering because it covers several different subjects, like mechanics, statistics, and management, and suited his indecisive personality. Currently, he maintains a supply chain management position at Ace Hardware Corporation.
Natya at Berkeley, from UC Berkeley, was established in the Spring of 2013 by Lalli Venkat, Suhasini Ramakrishna, and Manisha Eerabathini. The team was founded by holding auditions to recruit the original nine team members. Together, they performed for the first time at Cal’s Culture Show and the rest was history!
Raj Pravinbhai Bhakta, an alumni of The University of Texas-Austin, completed his undergrad with a B.S. in Physics, with a concentration in Radiation Physics, Nuclear Engineering, and Philosophy of Physics. He is currently a first-year graduate student at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. At NCSU, he is in Nuclear Engineering but is actively trying to switch to Materials Science and Engineering. This change reflects his interest in research. After he graduates, he wants to pursue a career in technology entrepreneurship because start-ups really excite him and that’s where he believes his skill-set and interests overlap. He hopes to launch a high-tech start-up after he graduates or works at one. He says, "Start-ups are very much like running a competitive dance team; as you’re constantly trying to fundraise, try new dance concepts (R&D), and polish your dance routine (product), so that it appeals to the judges and audience (market), while meeting like-minded people and being a part of a small-knit and innovative community."
Rutgers University’s incredible fusion dance team, Ehsaas, was co-founded by Suchi Gulati and Chandni Patel towards the end of Spring 2009. They started performing on campus the following fall and finally started competing on the collegiate level in 2011. The reasons why they are so successful are because of their dedication and their ability to problem solve given any issue.
