Dandia Dhamaka

Dandia Dhamaka (dD) is an Indian Dandiya Raas dance competition. In 2001, students from the University of Michigan created an organization called the RAAS Association to coordinate Dandia Dhamaka. Dandia Dhamaka showcases the South Asian traditional dance form of raas, a traditional, yet expressive form of Indian folk dance involving wooden sticks called dandias, representing the swords of Durga. The dancers hit each other's sticks to the beat of the music. The women wear traditional dresses such as colorful embroidered choli, ghagra and bandhani dupattas (traditional attire) that shine with mirror work and heavy jewellery. The men wear special turbans and kedias, but this varies regionally.^[1]

The 2013 competition was held on January 26, 2013 at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Dandia Dhamaka has held mixers on the Friday night that teams have arrived at the competition. These mixers allow teams to participate in team building activities so teams can interact with their own teams and their competing teams.

Placings

2014

1. University of Illinois - Chicago
2. University of Pittsburgh
3. Michigan State University

2013

1. Michigan State University
2. University of Illinois - Chicago
3. Saint Louis University

2012

1. University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
2. Rutgers University
3. Michigan State University

2011

1. Rutgers University
2. University of Michigan
3. Michigan State University

2010

1. University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
2. University of Michigan
3. St. Louis University

2009

1. University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
2. Michigan State University
3. Washington University - St. Louis

2008

1. New York University
2. University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
3. Michigan State University

2007

1. University of Michigan
2. University of Illinois - Chicago
3. Ohio State University

References

1. http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/top-college-indian-dance-teams-compete-at-ums-dandia-dhamaka/

See also

Dandiya Raas