Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
When beloved Indian pop icon Diljit Dosanjh stopped in Hong Kong last year for his world tour, he invited members of a local dance group to join him on stage in West Kowloon.
For the dancers in the group, called Funjabi, this was a chance to perform alongside an actor and singer they had admired for years.
“It was an incredible feeling, just knowing we would be sharing the stage with an artist of his stature,” said 18-year-old dancer Simran Pancholi. She is studying English at HKU Space Community College.
Pancholi explained that Funjabi was chosen for the performance after Dosanjh’s choreographer held a workshop in Hong Kong and saw the team’s “potential and passion”.
The group specialises in a traditional dance called bhangra. It originated in the Punjab region of South Asia and is usually performed during celebrations.
The team had a lot of choreography to learn in a short period, so they fully invested in preparing for the concert.
“Once we were actually on stage, the nerves about memorising steps just faded away,” Pancholi said.
Cultural connections
According to Pancholi, bhangra is a “powerful symbol of Punjabi culture and heritage”.
“It’s a way for me to learn more about my culture. It has brought me so much joy,” Pancholi said.
She has been part of Funjabi for about four years.
The teen said she started learning bhangra when she was three years old.
“At that age, it was a fun way to enjoy music and entertain myself when I was bored,” she said.
Eventually, the dance came to mean more to her.
“[Bhangra] became my ultimate stress reliever,” she explained.
“No matter what stress I had ... syncing with the music and nailing a choreo always gave me this incredible sense of completion and joy.”
Growing opportunities in Hong Kong
Funjabi was founded in 2006. It started as a small group looking to promote Punjabi folk dance in Hong Kong through classes for children and adults. Over time, more talented dancers joined the team.
In 2018, Funjabi represented Hong Kong for the first time at an international competition.
Last August, Hong Kong hosted its first global bhangra competition, inviting three other teams from the United States, Australia and India.
To their delight, Funjabi placed third among the four teams. They even took home a trophy.
“We definitely weren’t expecting to win anything. We went into it with the mindset of just gaining a great experience and learning from our mistakes,” Pancholi said.
Pancholi wants to see the group continue growing in Hong Kong,
and she looks forward to more international competitions ahead.
