Sitara Thobani

The Indian dance evolution starts with Flamenco, a Spanish musical genre with strong, rhythmic undertones that merges with Kathak, a dance form that can be traced to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India.

Then came the popular Bhangra, which in the traditional sense is a folk dance and not a music form, though now it is referred to as both to the music and the dance.

Bhangra began as a part of harvest and festival celebrations, and found its way to the performance stage after the division of the Punjab in 1947.

It is surprising then that performers at the City of Bhangra Festival have fused the Punjabi dance with the another type of dance and music from halfway around the world—the Celtic tradition.

Celtic music and dance describes a broad group of musical genres that evolved out of folk traditions in Ireland and Scotland.

Combining Celtic dance and Bhangra, performers will delight audiences with Transfusion— a creative  attempt at adapting traditional dance and music for a modern, global culture.

The much-awaited Transfusion event is sponserered by Bell and co-presented by the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC) Society and the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad .

Transfusion and Bhangra Authentic, a 90-minute presentation of folk dance from around the world, both take place at the Vancouver International Film Centre on Feb. 29, March 1 and 2.

Bhangra Authentic brings the folk origins of Bhangra to the stage with an English-narrated presentation explaining the different forms of Punjabi music and dance.

Listen as poetry is fused with music, and watch as Punjabi folk dance emerges from the fields. Sign language interpretors will be at Bhangra Authentic.

Tarun Nayar, artistic director of the event says that, “Transfusion shows the inter-relationships between Indian dances and other similar folk dance traditions.

“With dancers like Sitara Thobani, Chengxin Wei, Karen Michelle Pitkethly and Raakhi Sinha, this multimedia event presents some of the most talented artists from across the country.

“The exciting part of the event is that audiences will experience unique dance collaborations between Kathak and Flamenco, Bharatnatyam and Afrocontemporary, and Bhangra with breakdancing.”

Both events are also part of the VIBC’s City of Bhangra Festival presented by Bell from Feb. 29  through March 8. The festival, organized by the VIBC Society, encourages cultural exploration and community participation through a diverse series of events highlighting the Northern Indian art form of Bhangra. Event listings are available at www.vibc.org.

Since 2005, the not-for-profit VIBC has presented events to entertain and educate all communities about Bhangra. The Society’s vision is to embrace the spirit of celebration, generosity and community that is Bhangra.

The VIBC is dedicated to spreading the universal rhythm of Bhangra and welcoming people from all cultures to enjoy the beats of this beautiful art form.

The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, a key pillar of the the 2010 Winter Games, celebrates culture, arts, and creativity at more than 300 free and ticketed events for seven weeks around the Lower Mainland and B.C.’s sea-to-sky corridor.  Starting Feb. 1, Olympiad events will run through March 21.