Families take part in Punjabi folk dance contest

Gureet Kaur, 11, said learning the traditional dance Giddha had helped her to know more about her culture

A national Punjabi dance contest for women has been taking place, with participants performing in a traditional folk style called Giddha.

The Giddha contest, that is taking place for the third year in a row, has been staged at the Mercure Telford Centre Hotel.

Teams of women and girls took part, with some singing live as well as dancing.

Gureet Kaur, aged 11, said learning Giddha had helped her to “know where you’ve come from, and your ancestors”.

Gureet Kaur, centre left, and Jasmeet Kaur, centre right, had travelled from Rugby with their mothers to take part

Gureet, her 12-year-old friend Jasmeet Kaur, and their mothers, had travelled from Rugby in Warwickshire and they all took part in the event.

Jasmeet told BBC Radio Shropshire they had “practised a lot” in the lead-up to their performances.

Noorzora, who uses a stage name, was one of the contest’s five judges

The girls’ mothers said they felt very proud watching their daughters on stage.

Amandeep Kaur, Gureet’s mother, added it was important to her that her children kept “in touch with their roots” in Indian culture.

Noorzora, who uses a stage name and was one of the contest’s five judges, said: “I’m very happy to see this new generation, to [promote] the Punjabi culture in this country.”