Northwestern University’s dance team Anubhav won the 2017 championship title at the Legends Bollywood Dance Championship held in Los Angeles, California, on April 15, marking the group’s third win in a national championship in the last four years.
In addition to taking first overall, Anubhav was also recognized for best choreography, best costumes and best male lead, reported The Daily Northwestern. Ushasi Naha, a team captain of Anubhav, said she was excited to see the group’s hard work pay off. “We have had a pretty successful season, so we’re really happy about that, but Nationals is always a whole new ballgame,” the Weinberg senior said. “We really didn’t have any kind of expectations, so winning was truly a dream.”
Before advancing to the championship, teams compete at various regional competitions which draw applicants from hundreds of teams across the country. The top 10 teams then advance to the final championship, said graduate student Hetal Patel, creative director and founding member of Anubhav.
Anubhav previously won a different national championship, Bollywood America, last year and in 2014. During the fall, the team of about 25 dancers practices four times per week for two hours. In the winter — the main competition season — the group dedicates six days a week to practice, Naha said, reported The Daily Northwestern.
“The weeks leading up to a competition we expect a lot from the team,” she said. “We put in everything we’ve got to get the show as well as it (can) be.”
Each year, the team creates a seven to eight minute story that encompasses a variety of dances and songs, Naha said. This performance is then repeated at the various regional competitions and national championship, she said.