OMG Challenger : Jigri Yaar Bhangra Academy

Step Aside, the Spin Doctors are comin!

And spinning in at top speed is this week's OMG Challenger - the Jigri Yaar Bhangra Academy. What has 'spinning' got to with Bhangra you say? Just watch this video and you'll see how its part of the Bhangra.

Interesting right?
It seems normal enough when two guys are spinning. We kinda say that stunt when the Prettyboyz performed weeks ago. But when you add in a 3rd guy to the mix.... I'm surprised the anchor guy could walk in a straight line after all that.


I managed to speak to the leader of the troupe, 26 year-old Arwind Padda. He's the director of the Academy and has been a professional Bhangra instructor for the last 9 years. He's also an expert of Punjabi culture. Here's the interview :


Why did you decide to join OMG?
Well, the opportunity was there, so we just grabbed it. At Jigri Yaar, our motto is "You Never Give Up". Our troupe is actually made up of 12 people. And its pretty hard to coordinate everyone due to work commitments. But because of our motto, even with less manpower, we are seizing this opportunity!


So how many of you will actually be on the show?
There will be five of us. The whole group is a multi-racial ethnic group actually. On the show tomorrow, there will be four guys and one girl. The guys are myself (Arwind Padda), Malvinder, Sukvinder, Yuvraj and Myra who is Malay.  We actually have a chinese member who's away in Vietnam and couldn't get back in time to join us - he was really excited but couldn't get back in time because of the late notice.


What is your strategy to staying in the competition?
We always do a lot of heart-thumping acrobatics. So we'll just keep doing more and more.


What would you do with the $50,000 if you won?
We would of course share it amongst the group. And I would also like to use to it to do more research on Bhangra. And of course we'll need to thank God for the win. We'll also give back by visiting the poor and repaying the community.


What do you think of the show?
Its not bad actually.


Do you think you can take on the Challengers?
Yea we should be able to with our spinning. Its technically very challenging. When we spin, the speed at which we move is very very fast. It should wow people. To do a good spin, you've got to have a lot of confidence in yourself because its not just your life at stake, someone else's life is at stake too. We have also been practicing til we drop.


How do you spin like that and still be able to walk straight after?
Most of us Bhangra dancers have been doing this for many years. I have been dancing for the last 14  years, so my mind is mentally trained and prepared to do this. Jigri Yaar has been around since 1985, and most dancers have learnt their foundation here.

Arwin tells us that for this week's 'My Singapore Dream' theme, their choreography and stunts will be super fast-paced to match the fast-paced lifestyle of Singapore. They will also be dressed in our national colours of Red and White.


Wanna find out more about the troupe? Catch Arwin (the spinner) and fellow dancer, 19 year-old Myra (the spinnee) on Class 95 tomorrow morning from 9 to hear their interview with The Morning Crew. It'll also be the first time they'll meet Judge FD - I wonder if he'll grill them! Tune in to Class to find out!


Catch new Challenger Jigri Yaar Bhangra on OMG tomorrow night, 8pm Live on Channel 5. You can also watch them Live in studio, just come on down to Mediacorp Reception at 7pm to grab tickets. Plus, its Debbie Gibson as guest judge on the show tomorrow night - wheeee so exciting! I wonder if Jigri Yaar's stunts will impress her.


Are you a potential Challenger? Think you can do better? Producers want to find out more - email your details to omg@mediacorp.com.sg now and you join the show!