Meet Andaaz | Bollywood-Fusion dance team

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andaaz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andaaz, what do you want people to remember about you?
Andaaz wants to have our legacy be one that spreads the joy of dance and South Asian culture across the ASU campus, our local community, and also across the United States. Our team uniquely blends South Asian culture and American culture to fully encapsulate the South Asian-American experience, both from the perspective of students who moved here for college and those who were raised in the US. We hope to bring smiles to people’s faces with each performance we do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our organization has been established at ASU for 10 years now, an incredible achievement and milestone for our team. In that 10 years, we have gone to many competitions across the United States including the national competition Bollywood America in 2016. What sets us apart from other Bollywood dance teams is that we combine story and dance. Each year we pick a theme, like a movie, book, or cartoon, and form a diverse performance around it. In the past, we have done Fairly Odd Parents, and Bollywood movies Queen and Taare Zameen Par.

We are proud to say that Andaaz competed with a very diverse array of dance styles each year. Historically we have performed Bollywood, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Hip Hop, Bhangra, Garba, Jhoomar, Gidda, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, and much more. This not only requires a diverse dance background but tenacity, adaptability, and hard work to accomplish.
It definitely wasn’t easy, we have overcome a number of hardships, but the biggest thing is financial barriers. At the beginning of our journey, we received no funding from the university and even now the money we receive is barely substantial to cover applications to the dance competitions we compete at each year. We work hard to earn as much funding as possible by performing at private events, earning sponsorships, and hosting a multitude of fundraisers each year. Arts are one of the most expensive yet most underfunded extracurriculars and the enrichment it brings to students’ lives is priceless. If you would like to donate to our organization please reach out to asuandaaz@gmail.com.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are all college students so naturally, we are all enthusiastic about the nightlife in Tempe. We would definitely take any friends to Mill Ave. for a fun night of bar hopping. We also love to check out local restaurants and shops to try new treats. Some other things we recommend are checking out Tempe Town Lake, renting a paddle boat or an electric scooter, and taking in the scenery.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would love to thank all of those who have supported us and kept our organization running. It takes a village to be able to put together a performance and put it on stage. We would like to thank our incredibly supportive alumni network, anyone who has helped sponsor our team or contributed to a fundraiser, all of our family and friends, and most of all our incredible members and executive board for putting in their blood, sweat, and tears to put on incredible performances year after year with such passion for the art form.

Instagram: @andaaz_asu

Twitter: @andaaz_asu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuandaaz

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andaaz_asu

Other: Email: asuandaaz@gmail.com

Image Credits
Shea Ann Jhalak Dance Competition Legacy on Broad Taaza Purdue Nasha Sidharth Srivaprasad