The Observer, September 26, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 5
Case Raas Goondas carry high standards through new academic year
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Since its inception in 2003, the Case Western Reserve Raas dancing team has enjoyed numerous successes, and it appears poised to continue its legacy of excellence in the 2008-2009 school year. Raas is a traditional form of Indian dance that originated from the province of Gujarat. The dance is performed with two sticks, called dandias, and is one of the two dance forms employed during the nine-day-long Hindu festival of Navrati. Over the years, raas has developed into a more modern form that consists of "elements of traditional raas as well as modern components such as influences from modern dances or just new raas moves that are based on traditional raas," according to choreographer Eric Tsung.
The CWRU team is highly competitive, often practicing for hours three to four times a week and every day when a competition is close. The overall competitiveness of the team is reflected not only in that all former team members have to try out again, but also in the fact that only two freshmen made the final cut. Tsung maintains that it is not an issue of favoritism. "Most freshman who come in generally don't have much training," which is essential to the team's success.
The enormous effort put forth by the team members is evident in their participation in last year's prestigious Dandia Dhamaka at the University of Michigan and the Rock for Doc show. The team has also participated in the prominent intercollegiate competition Raas Chaos at George Washington University in Washington D.C., which is sponsored by the South Asian Student Association.
The group's success is even more impressive considering they have no connection to CWRU's dance department. Raas is run by a board, that secures funding from USG for the dancers called Goondas. The board also selects the choreographers for the team during the previous year. In addition to Tsung, the choreographers are Pooja Sandesara and Reema Patel.
Besides the competitive benefit of frequent intense practices, there are also many additional awards that the team reaps. Both freshman on the team, Varun Mengla and Sabina Chandramani can attest to the family atmosphere the team creates. Mengla describes his practices with the team thus far as "a good experience" and feels like he will be able to learn from all the upperclassmen on the team. Chandramani also professes, "The whole team is like a family. I can already feel that, and I've only been to three practices."
It is important to understand that the performances the Goondas participate in are not all simply for competitive reasons only. According to Tsung, the ultimate purposes of the performances are to "promote and preserve the Gujurati culture, support intercollegiate networking and connections, and ultimately create a weekend with a competitive and fun atmosphere.
For the first semester of the year, the Goondas plan to perform at the Detroit Institute of Arts on Oct. 26 and the Undergraduate Indian Student Association show Nov. 22.
