Lesson Plan 2
An Introduction to Bhangra
Dance
This lesson is resourced through specially-filmed video
clips on the Oriental Arts website. The clips feature the
beginning and first few steps of a traditional bhangra
sequence, which can be learned and practised by the
whole class and used as the basis for a performance.
Learning outcomes (WILF)
At the end of this lesson, all children will:
 recognise the sound of traditional bhangra folk music
 identify the music’s roots in the Punjab region of
India/Pakistan
 be able to perform simple bhangra dance steps
Some children will:
 be able to describe how bhangra became popular in the UK
 be able to extend the bhangra dance sequence by adding
new steps
Resources
 You will need a smartboard with fast internet access
 A large clear floor space, safe for bare feet, for the class to
practise dance moves
 A1 flipchart & pointer
 Soundtrack for practising bhangra dance – you could use
Pammi Bhai’s track Bhangra, from the album Punjaban
available at http://www.apnaorg.com/pop-music/.
 Oriental Arts worksheet on bhangra
 Key vocabulary: dhol, bhangra, Punjab, folk dance, Vaisakhi,
and the phrase ‘Chak de Phattey!’ – ‘Lift the floorboards!’
Preparation
 Read the Teachers’ Notes & photocopy the worksheets.
 Familiarise yourself with the bhangra video clips used in this
lesson plan and how to access them.
Page 1 Bhangra Lesson Plan © Oriental Arts 2013 www.orientalarts.org.uk
 You’ll need a short example of bhangra to show the class eg
JK Gabru Panjab performing at the London Mela in 2010:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/uk-bhangra-artist-jkgabru-panjab-performing-live-on-stage/11986.html.
 You might like to show the class the joke superhero
Bhangraman, from BBC TV comedy Goodness Gracious Me:
‘Earthquake Rescue’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwtQTS3-Iw and ‘Bhangraman takes on the Morris Dancers’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ1mU3nD79c.
Introduction
 Recap from dhol lesson: write everything the class can
remember on the board.
 What is bhangra? Where did it originally come from? Have
any children seen a bhangra band?
 Show the clip of JK Gabru Panjab at the London Mela:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/uk-bhangra-artist-jkgabru-panjab-performing-live-on-stage/11986.html.
 Ask the class to describe the dancing. Was it slow or fast?
What kinds of movements were the dancers making?
Learning bhangra dance steps
 Bhangra is a very energetic dance using the whole body, so
start with some warm-ups.
 Play Bhangra Film 1: Hardeep introduces bhangra and
shows how to begin the dance. Practise this with the class. If
necessary break it down further into single steps:
Stand tall then raise your arms with hands fluttering
Jump into the air with both feet off the ground
Land, dip down, put your weight on your left leg
Straighten up on your left leg, hold your right leg out
 Play Bhangra Film 2: Hardeep demonstrates ‘Hop-hop-hopswap’. Practise this with the class, breaking it into smaller
movements if necessary:
Raise your arms up and out making a ‘Y’ shape
Hop three times on your left foot
Swap feet, and hop three times on your right foot
Repeat: hop-hop-hop-swap-hop-hop-hop
Page 2 Bhangra Lesson Plan © Oriental Arts 2013 www.orientalarts.org.uk
 Practise the whole sequence from the beginning.
 Show Bhangra Film 3: ‘Sailor-sailor-sailor’. Practise this with
the class:
Hop 3 times on alternate feet, arms raised
Hop 3 times on alternate feet, arms folded
Repeat: hop-hop-hop-sailor-sailor-sailor
 Show Bhangra Film 4: Putting the steps together. Practise
the whole sequence with the class. Choose children who are
confident to demonstrate the steps to those who are less
sure.
 Show Bhangra Film 5: Hardeep and dances from Virsa do
the whole sequence. Ask the children to watch all the moves
carefully, and practise the whole sequence again.
 Recap: What did the class find easy? What was difficult?
How did the dance make them feel? What have they learned
about bhangra?
 Bhangra worksheet.
Extensions
 Show the class ‘Bhangraman: Earthquake Rescue’ from
Goodness Gracious Me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw-tQTS3-Iw. Ask the
class to listen for the phrase ‘Chak de phatte!’ – ‘Lift the
floorboards!’ which Bhangraman shouts when he comes to
the rescue.
 Watch the trailer for the musical stage show Britain’s Got
Bhangra, produced by Rifco Arts in 2010-:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JjlIVTkyps
 Working in groups, ask children to improvise two more
bhangra steps. Remind the class that bhangra is a wholebody dance that always involves your arms and your legs.
 Each group presents their ideas to the class, who choose the
best new steps to add to the bhangra sequence.
Page 3 Bhangra Lesson Plan © Oriental Arts 2013 www.orientalarts.org.uk
Cross curricular links
Looking at the Punjab
 How far is the Punjab from Britain? Get the class to locate it
on the world map and measure the distance.
 Bhangra began as a harvest celebration in the Punjab, which
is sometimes called the ‘breadbasket of India’. Can the class
find out what kinds of crops are grown there, and why the
land is so fertile?
 Many people who now live in Britain originally came from the
Punjab. Can the class find out when and why these people
came to Britain?
About dance
 Bhangra began as a folk dance for harvest-time, and is now
used for all sorts of celebrations including weddings. Find out
about other celebratory dances, eg English and Polish or
Eastern European folk dances.
 British bhangra has roots in the Punjab but is now successful
all over the world – it even has fans in India. Listen to artists
like Malkit Singh and Sukshinder Shinda, or new generation
ones like DJ Dr Zeus. How does British bhangra compare to
traditional bhangra?
Page 4 Bhangra Lesson Plan © Oriental Arts 2013 www.orientalarts.org.uk