From keeping me entertained on TikTok during the pandemic to serving as inspiration for my own wedding dances, the BFunk dance duo's incredible South Asian choreography has kept me energised over the past two years – and I'm just one of hundreds of thousands global admirers.
With over 363,000 and 152,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok respectively, Shivani Bhagwan and Chaya Kumar have built an undeniably dedicated online audience in addition to the legion of fans who attend their in-person classes in the US. But now they've leant their awesome moves to the small screen, being recruited to choreograph and perform in the show-stopping sangeet dance featured in the most recent episode (ep 3) of Disney's Ms. Marvel.
For those playing catchup, Ms. Marvel stars Iman Vellani (whom I interviewed for Refinery29 Australia) as Kamala Kan, Marvel's first ever Muslim superhero. And to not only showcase South Asian culture on screen but to collaborate with South Asian creators like BFunk in order to achieve this is what authentic representation looks like and it should be applauded.
"We are blown away by everyone’s love and support! It was SUCH an honor to be a part of this moment in history, and we cannot thank @sanaamanat622 enough for the opportunity!!" the duo shared in an official Instagram post, giving a nod to Pakistani American Sana Amanat who created Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan comic storyline in 2014.
"I mean who ever thought that one day we would step into the Marvel Universe, let alone represent South Asian dance in it?! Absolutely wild."
Check out the below Instagram posts that feature snippets and behind-the-scenes action from the shoot and make sure you watch Ms. Marvel on Disney+ if you haven't already.