Blending Indian soul with Western rhythm, UT’s newest fusion dance group, Jazba, takes audiences on a trip around the globe with multicultural routines.
Founded in 2012, UT Jazba distinguishes itself from other dance teams by incorporating various styles of dance from around the world into their performances. In the past, the group has included many traditional South Asian moves as well as styles from salsa and hip-hop. Jazba hopes to teach members to be culturally well-rounded.
“We definitely don’t expect (members) to be perfect from the minute they join because we’re all here to help,” said Sonya Raghunandhan, co-captain and finance senior. “We’re all here to train and become better.”
Raghunandhan said she hopes Jazba’s routines express the dynamic nature of Indian-American culture.
“We create performances set to both Indian and American songs,” Raghunandhan said. “We like to express our ourselves because we are all infused into both Indian and American cultures.”
For Raghunandhan, participating in dance competitions through Jazba allows her to further explore her longtime passion.
“We are competitive, but that’s not the focus of why we dance,” Raghunandhan said. “Jazba literally means ‘passion.’ We dance because we love to.”
Computer science senior Hassan Sheikh danced with a few other organizations before joining Jazba. Sheikh said he was able to connect to Jazba members in a way that he hadn’t experienced with other groups.
“Dancing has been a part of my life since I came to UT,” Sheikh said. “When I first came to practice, I felt really welcomed by all of the team. I feel more open with them than I have with any other group.”
Although Jazba incorporates Western moves into its routines, the team also showcases the diverse range of dances within India as well. Sheikh said the variety allows him to improve his skills and be a more versatile dancer.
“We blend with a bunch of different Indian dance styles such as Bhangra and Kathak,” Sheikh said. “It’s given me a lot of experience as a dancer as opposed to other teams who focus on one or two specific styles of dancing.”
Jazba member and finance senior Aishavarya Sonawane joined the team last year after several friends on the team convinced her to audition. Despite only having training in classical Indian dance, Sonawane said she was drawn to the team because of its diverse repertoire.
“In the past, Jazba has done a lot with salsa, and other dance styles,” Sonawane said. “We try not to focus on just one dance style, unlike other teams, and we pride ourselves on that.”
Despite being the newest Indian dance team on campus, Jazba has already joined the circuit of dance competitions around the nation.
“We’ve had competitions in North Carolina, and we will be going to Santa Barbara in a couple of weeks, and the week after that we have a competition at the University of Oklahoma,” Sonawane said. “We go all over the country.”
Jazba trains up to four hours a day leading up to a competition. While rehearsals can be strenuous, for Sonawane, the sweat and tears are worth it after the team shines on stage.
“I love performing on stage and getting to show everyone what you’ve been putting in all of this hard work for,” Sonawane said. “At the end of the performance, if you feel great, then you know that all of your efforts have paid off.”
