ASU Aashiyana, a Bollywood dance club, has pushed through many obstacles to find a space on campus to rehearse for their national competition on Nov. 9 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Hector Salas Almeida)ASU’s newest Bollywood dance team has earned a spot at November’s national competition in Austin, Texas.
ASU Aashiyana is a Bollywood fusion dance team that incorporates dance styles such as hip-hop and jazz.
With the help of a few friends, political science junior Faryal Mushtaq established the team as an official ASU clubthis semester.
Mushtaq said people initially doubted her ability to make a successful team.
“Someone told me it was impossible,” she said. “Now we’re getting ready for a national competition.”
After the team performed at the Fall Welcome, they sent video audition tapes to be considered as competitors in the Jhalak Dance Competition, a national event held Nov. 9 to 11.
Mushtaq said three Bollywood dance teams auditioned for the competition from the University, but only ASU Aashiyana made it in.
Out of the eight teams that made their division, the top three will move on to the next competition, called Bollywood America. Teams that place there become nationally ranked.
Mushtaq said she wanted to create an opportunity for any student to get involved. She said off-campus students make up 80 percent of the 25-member dance team.
Members pay a $10 fee to join the team after tryouts. ASU Aashiyana was given $500 dollars from the University for team expenses this semester.
Mushtaq said the team is seeking sponsors because the $500 hardly covers the cost of competition costumes.
Mushtaq said the dance team is organized in two departments. Part of the team serves on the executive board in charge of finances and planning and the rest of the team is responsible for choreographing and teaching the dances.
Mushtaq said however much time the team spends dancing, they try to spend an equal amount of time doing community service projects.
Sometime in the next few weeks, the team will hold a workshop at the Child Study Laboratory run by ASU’s Psychology Department to expose children to Indian dance culture.
Mushtaq said the team will bring along clothing, pictures and instruments from India to keep the children interested.
“We want to reveal the culture of India (and) how Indian dancing looks,” Mushtaq said.
Sociology junior Layla Curry is one of the team’s lead choreographers.
She said the team had her making up parts of their dances as soon as she joined.
“The pressure was on me from the beginning, but it’s positive pressure,” Curry said.
She said she and other choreographers are working to finish and teach the routine for nationals. Curry said the time crunch is an obstacle.
“It’s been tough, and it’s stressing a lot of people out,” she said, “but we’re getting everything done and no one is quitting.”
Biological engineering senior Mitzi Thelakkaden said she has been dancing for about eight years.
Thelakkaden said being a part of ASU Aashiyana gives her a release from school stress.
“It’s my most stressful year, and I have something to take my mind off of it,” she said. “You don’t have to be a professional.”
Reach the reporter at hblawren@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @hannah_lawr
