South Asian Showdown, a premiere South Asian collegiate dance competition has been attracting some of the finest teams from around the country to compete for cash awards.   Dazzling costumes, creative themes and choreography and energetic dance moves made for a delightful showcase to please the most demanding dance connoisseurs. 

The event was a feather in the cap for Rohit Bhambi who has worked hard to provide a platform for quality dance productions. "It was fantastic to see all the great teams perform in front of a sold-out audience," said  Bhambi . "The crowd really appreciated all the talented dancers and performances with their thunderous ovations. Being an ex-dancer myself, there was no better feeling than getting the crowd behind you.” Monica Gill,  Miss India USA served as the MCEE for the evening. 

University of California Berkeley's Azaad team won the first prize and $2,000 in cash in Saturday's South Asia Showdown, a highly-entertaining event featuring some of the top competitive dance teams from the United States. A total of 12 teams participated in the sold-out John Hancock Hall that attracted about 1,100 people in attendance.

The second prize and $1,000 went to RU Sapa of Newark, NJ, and the third prize of $500 went to Broadstreet Baadshahz of Philedelphia, PA

Bhangara and Bharatanatyam moves blended in with a variety of western styles delivered with precision made for a wonderful presentation.   The splendid costumes, the talent and the beauty the young dancers made for a delightful evening. The themes varied from call center romance to Beauty and the Beast. Creative opening videos and a collection of extensive props helped bring out the theme.

As a dance teacher, it was very gratifying to see so many students who have learned dance during their high school years continue to dance despite their grueling college schedules.  I eagerly look forward to next year’s event. 

The 12 teams that participated in the national competition were: Bradstreet Baadshahz, Philedelphia, PA; Brown Badmaash of Providence, RI; BU Chankaar of Boston; BU Jalwa of Boston; Maruland Dhoom of College Park, MD; Michigan Manzil of Ann Arbor, MI; NYU Pandemonium of New York, NY; Ruthers SAPA of Newark, NJ; Stanford Dil Se of Stanford, CA; and UC Berkeley Azaad of Berkeley, CA.

About the winning teams:

UC Berkeley Azaad: Azaad, referring to "independence or freedom", hails from Berkeley, California. The team is based on dedication, passion and energy, with the primary goal of creating productions that entertain and motivate audiences to connect with the Bollywood culture. Combining Indian classical, folk, and modern styles of dance, the team takes pride in its creative choreography and production elements, as it hopes to set the bar higher and higher each year.

RU Sapa: SAPA's dance troupe made history in 2000 by becoming the first co-ed South Asian dance troupe in the United States. Incorporating various elements of dancing, SAPA integrated styles such as Classical, Bollywood, and Hip-hop to introduce the Rutgers community to a style of dance that was never before seen on campus and soon after, the entire nation. The members of SAPA wish to enhance the involvement of the South Asian community at Rutgers through this expressive form and to showcase the art of Indian dancing from its roots to the evolving, energetic style that it is today.

Broadstreet Baadshahz: Since its conception in 2008, Philadelphia's very own Broadstreet Baadshahz, with all male dance crew from the city of brotherly love, has become the number one All-Male Fusion Dance team in the nation. From ninjas to jedis to gladiators, who knows what this group of guys has in store next? This year they have been putting in countless hours of hard work in order to bring you a visually stunning high energy routine that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seats. The Baadshahz of Philly are back to light the stage on fire and win the hearts of all single ladies with this year's powerful performance.