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Bhangra dancers to perform at Welford Road

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Gabhru Panjab De bhangra dancers (GPD) will perform at Welford Road today during half-time of Leicester Tigers' sold-out Aviva Premiership game with Northampton Saints.The performance is part of the Tigers Foundation’s Nach Nach Tigers programme, which will celebrate Leicester’s diversity and create an opportunity to introduce rugby to BME communities in the city.   Tigers have applied for funding for Nach Nach Tigers from the Aviva Community Fund, a nationwide initiative set up by Aviva, title sponsors of Premiership Rugby, to offer support for local causes, with the public voting for projects to receive funding of up to £25,000. Vote for Nach Nach Tigers by clicking here.   Nach Nach Tigers will include education in culture and sport for first-year A Level students. Through four workshops held at each of Leicester’s 18 secondary schools, participants will discuss their cultures, talk about sport and participation in sport, and give their views on what stops people taking part in sport. They will also learn a dance routine and get to know the drums used in Bhangra music.   Participants will be introduced to rugby and have the chance to be part of a Tigers matchday. The programme will finish at Welford Road with trials for a matchday Bhangra and dance group that will provide a welcome for the teams at a Tigers first-team game next season.   A successful bid for Aviva Community Funding would allow Tigers to employ a dedicated member of staff for the Nach Nach Tigers programme, recruit a Bollywood dance coach and Bhangra coach to train the Bhangra and dance group, and host Leicester’s Got Talent open trials to encourage continued participation.   And to promote the bid, Gabhru Panjab De, who were named the Best Dance Group at the 2014 UK Bhangra Awards, will be performing at Welford Road during half-time.   Aki Sandhu, GPD manager, said: “It was an honour when we were contacted by Leicester Tigers who wanted us to perform at Welford Road at one of their most important matches of the season.”   Bindi Sandhu, GPD chairperson, added: “Gabhru Panjab De continue breaking down dance barriers with performances at various festivals, events, television and motion pictures, we have been at the forefront of Bhangra for the last 27 years and growing from strength to strength with over 120 registered members.”