Lashkara dance team fosters commitment, talent and community building
By GRACIELA TIU — features@theaggie.org
Lashkara, UC Davis’ premiere Bollywood Fusion dance team, prides itself on the talent, community, passion and hard work of its members. Whether it be through their choreography, practices, performances or their overall bond as a team, Lashkara at UC Davis exceptionally impacts its members, the school community and beyond.
“Lashkara strives to spread cultural diversity through Bollywood Fusion dance by blending traditional and modern elements of dance into its set,” Sumit Mantri, a second-year computer science and statistics double major, said. “The team reflects these values by incorporating innovative, traditional choreography as well as a mix of both modern and traditional music.”
Ani Chiplunkar, a second-year statistics major, described how Lashkara’s significance extends beyond just dance.
“At the end of the day, Lashkara is more than just a dance team or a set of people,” Chiplunkar said. “It’s a purpose. We perform a plethora of dance styles and tailor them to a theme in order to satisfy the purpose of really moving people and showing how passion can bring out the best of us.”
Members of the team recognize how their commitment to their work is driven by a common love for what they do.
“The drive that we have to dance is reflected through our dancers,” Dhwani Shetty, a second-year materials science and engineering major, said. “Passion is what fuels us; it’s how we perform as a team, do things as a team and bond as a team — over our love for dance.”
The team’s performances range between multiple dance styles but are combined into one performance.
“The style and energy of a typical Lashkara performance is very versatile,” Shetty said. “We have an eight-minute segment that we perform at competitions and it includes various dance styles such as Bhangra, Bollyhop, Bollywood, contemporary, hip-hop and more. Each of these requires different types of energy.”
Mantri reflected on what made him feel inclined to try out for the team.
“Before Lashakra, I had little to no dance experience, but dance is something I’ve always been interested in,” Mantri said. “So I decided to give it a shot, and I came to the realization that this is something I truly enjoy. Not just the dancing, but the community and connections that you build through the team.”
One of the most important pieces that ties the team together is their frequent practices.
“A typical week involves structured practice sessions, often five times a week for three hours a day, focusing on choreography, cleaning, stamina building and synchronization,” Mantri said. “Before a performance or competition, rehearsals and hours do intensify, and mock performances are held to ensure our readiness so we can go into our competition confident in our set.”
Despite the long hours of practice for the team, some members said that the time commitment actually benefits their academic performance.
“The practices are long, but it’s helped me learn how to manage my time better,” Shetty said. “I know I have dance at 8 p.m. and I have to finish everything before then, so it really helps structure my schoolwork.”
UC Davis Lashkara has around four performances a year that they travel to, depending on which competitions the team qualifies for. One of the most memorable ones for the team in the past year was University of Georgia (UGA) India Night in Athens, Georgia.
“I would say UGA India Night 2024 was the most memorable performance for me in Lashkara as I’d never performed before on stage, and we ended up having to perform first for the event,” Mantri said. “Before performing, I peeked out from the backstage curtains, and I saw thousands of people in the audience, and heard people chanting our team name. I was nervous to my core and had a huge adrenaline rush. And when going onto the stage, I carried that
adrenaline rush through with me for the performance and was hyped to showcase our set.”
Chiplunkar also explained why UGA India Night was such a special performance for the team.
“It was our first competition, and we had all the odds stacked against us — logistical problems, technical issues, the entire circuit and people at our own school doubting whether we’d place or not,” Chiplunkar said. “Placing at that competition really set the tone for a west coast team to make a big impact on the circuit, and that’s exactly what we did. So it was a memorable performance, because it proved to myself and others that really, if you put your mind to something, you can defy all odds, no matter how much they’re stacked against you.”
Members including Mantri believe that a big part of what makes the group so special is the different talents that each individual member brings to the team.
“Every team member has their unique strengths that are utilized for different aspects of our set,” Mantri said. “Some people are really imaginative and artistic, so they become interested in the production part of our performance, and some people are creative, so they’re inclined to begin creating choreography. These strengths don’t go to waste, and they definitely positively impact our set.”
Through all of their practices and performances, the team’s members believe that one of the most rewarding aspects of the dance team is the community they’ve created.
“It’s just so special, because we all got so close over a short period of time,” Shetty said. “We haven’t known each other for that long, but it feels like we have known each other for a really long time because we spend so much time together.”
Written by: Graciela Tiu — features@theaggie.org
