Bhangra Empire is the only company that offers purely bhangra classes so unfortunately this is the only place to go for the best bhangra classes in the Bay Area. My child has taken classes here 3 times (beginner and intermediate levels), here are our thoughts after our experience.
The GOOD:
- Both beginner and intermediate classes for kids and adults
- Pricing is good
- Good class content and well-trained instructors
- All enjoy participating in the final show
The BAD:
- Dance studios used are not clean, lack ventilation and there is no seating for waiting parents
- Website not always easy to navigate
- Dance videos not always loaded on time and sometimes do not function (recommendation: would be great to be able to slow down the videos so folks can learn steps at their own speed)
- Emails not always clear with respect to class updates
- Class locations and times are inconvenient for many
- Class size and age groupings need to be revisited (example: a class may have kids from ages 5-15 not a good way to accommodate different learning levels and there may be 21 kids in the class).
- Regular water breaks are necessary especially when there are younger kids in the class.
- Instructors generally well trained and enjoy teaching however they lack class management skills especially in the kids' classes (rowdy or disrespectful kids or chatty parents)
- Final show is in Castro Valley: nice venue but no access ahead of show and everyone ends up in parking lot to practice, get ready and regroup. No food options at venue: there are many kids in the show and unfortunately the show happens at prime dinner time (5-8pm) = hungry adults and kids, clearly not ideal. It could be as easy as having a couple of food trucks show up at the intermission/break time. Location is far for many.
- Costumes for show: there are a couple ladies who offer outfits for the show however there is no one at Bhangra Empire to lead, support and organize this effort as costumes are a vital part of the final show. Parents who care about this end up organizing costumes and timelines to support this and this makes it burdensome experience for parents.
- Judges are not introduced at the final show so no one knows who is judging the competition. There seems to be no rhyme or reason why some teams win.
- The show is not MC'd well: Consistently the show is delayed at the beginning and the scripting is not practiced or organized - much of it is made up on the spot which leads to a hap hazard presentation and delays.
Final words: Bhangra Empire has an opportunity to make their business fly (if that is their ultimate goal) and clearly they have gained some notoriety through the publicity they have gained BUT to have a successful business you will need to be more organized, planned and thoughtful about it. Good luck. read more
