Bollywood Fusion: A snapshot of UConn Surya

Surya is a Bollywood fusion dance team that incorporates styles from Bhangra to Classical to Raas to Lyrical to Hip Hop. They perform in several competitions and showcases throughout the year.

The team practices in the late hours of the week and usually practice three times a week. They practice for about two and half hours in places like Laurel Hall and the Student Union.

Surya was one the performers in PCUC’s Culture Show, Chalo Chalein..Destination: Pakistan. Lhazey Metok is one of the 18 members of the dance team.

The team huddles before their performance in the PCUC Culture Showcase in Rome Ballroom.

Jessica Serrano is another member of the close knit competitve dance team. They have tryouts for those who are interested in joining the group during each semester and only a selected few get the privilege to be part of the team.

The team is comprised of 18 dancers and two mangers who help organize the practices and the team.

Vishruthi Palanivel is another member of the team. They participate in about 10 different competitions or showcases including Asian Nite and Dancers for Difference.

Niki Patel studies before their practice. While this is the time the many students are done with their meetings and activities, practice for Surya is just starting. It usually goes from 9-11 on the weekdays, and while the practices can be difficult, the friendships and connections that are made are irreplaceable.

Sanjanaa Sushanth and Shivali Gupta are the co-captains for the team. They are the ones who run the practices and create a team that is ready for competitions.

At this particular practice, the team rehearsed for their competition in Virginia that happened on April 1, 2017. The competition featured ten other teams coming from different colleges.

Surya received a second-place trophy at Nach Ki Dikha, the competition in Virginia on April 1, 2017 after countless hours of practice and commitment.