On a Friday afternoon, the concrete in front of the cafeteria is half-lit and half-shadowed by the waning sun, so that the twelve dancers weaving through the space are patterned with light and dark – almost as if they are the ones shifting the light as they pivot and leap and toe-tap.

Though this is just practice, MVHS’ Bhangra team knows exactly what their goal is: to perfect and perform a six minute routine. This has always been the goal, even when the initial learning curve seems about as steep as an arm raised straight up to meet the beat. Among many challenges: coordination, tight arms, holding formation.

“There’s a lot to do…When everybody starts out, they suck, they’re really so bad. You look at us and think, ‘Oh my god, is that a dance team?’” sophomore officer Devika Watave said, laughing. “But by the end of the year…everybody’s good or better. I saw it with myself, and I see it now in my [group].”

After months of weekly Friday practices, and even at-home camera-recorded rehearsals, this year’s team, mostly new to Bhangra and comprising of more freshmen than previous years, has dedicated these last months of the year to preparation and polishing. Their first performance, a six minute routine that began, admittedly, as “a little messy,” won’t take place until Jan. 10. But until then, until the chanting crowds and white lights will buoy their energy through all six minutes of non-stop movement, Bhangra will continue to lift their knees higher, one week at a time.

Here’s what they’ve been up to this year, and what they’re aiming to accomplish in second semester.