UT Jazba, based at The University of Texas at Austin, was established in 2012 by Janvi Agarwal. Their unique style allows them to contribute amazing routines to the circuit and helps distinguish them from other UT teams.
Interview:
How do you recruit new members/hold auditions?
We hold auditions in the fall and spring. We get the word out through social media, tabling at University events, and word of mouth.
How do you approach training freshman and incorporating them into your team's culture?
As a fairly new team, we emphasize having a good attitude and enthusiasm. Team culture is very important to us, so we make it a point to nurture our freshmen and incorporate them into our fabulous team culture. We understand that transitioning from high school is difficult, so we like to hold social/bonding events with our team members to help freshmen adjust to both the team and the college atmosphere.
With regards to training, we do not think that it is ever too late to join a dance team. Prior dance training is not a requirement; we spend time training all of our new members, whether they are freshmen or seniors.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
This upcoming season, we hope to compete in more national competitions and to get the word about Jazba out. Dancing is our passion (our Jazba, if you will), so we hope to spread the word not just about us, but about the Bollywood Fusion concept and South Asian culture. We also plan to be more active with our community.
What do you think are the biggest challenges within your circuit?
With so many teams in the circuit, especially on our own campus, it is hard to become established and well known. To combat that, we try our hardest to publicize our team. However, our goal is not to become the most well-known team out there; it is to have fun and to enjoy dancing.
What do you like most about your team/teammates?
Our team dynamic is extremely goofy. We value each of our team members, and every bad joke they bring to the table. We love to have masala sessions with our fellow team members, and to jam out to old-school Bollywood songs.
What makes your team different from other teams in the circuit?
We are not afraid to experiment with different dances. We have added Latin ballroom to our routine in the past, and this year, we had a routine with staffs. We enjoy learning different and diverse styles and really exploring different interpretations of fusion.
Are there any traditions your team has?
Every competition weekend, we go to Taco Bell and sing the secret part of our team chant at least once.
What are your team chants?
(to the tune of The Next Episode by Snoop Dogg)
ba-la-la-la-la, it’s the one and only J-A-Z-B-A (JAZBAAAAAA) x2
j,j-a, j-a-z-b-a go J, J-A, J-A-Z-B-A
GO J-A-Z-B-A, LET ME HEAR MY HATERS SAY
TEXAS (FIGHT)
TEXAS (FIGHT)
TEXAAAAAS FIGHT!
Which performance is your team most proud of?
The performance which we are most proud of was this year’s Las Vegas All Stars Mela. After being rained out, worn out, a wet stage, and a mix mix-up, we still gave it our all, and we are so proud of our team.
Have there been any defining moments or particularly memorable moments for your team?
Most of our team was new this year. The moments right after we performed at our first competition were so full of exhilaration, joy, and pride. It was unbelievable.
Please list 3 random/interesting facts about the team
- We have a lot of pre-medical students on our team.
- We had a competition the weekend of one of our member’s birthdays.
- We hung out with Chai Town, a very talented A Cappella team, when we competed in Las Vegas.