Written by UNC Chalkaa
In the modern era of collegiate dance, the competitive journey of each DDN (Desi Dance
Network) team toward Legends – DDN’s national dance championship – is not highlighted by its
members’ talent or skill. Instead, it is forged in the culmination of South Asian artists’ creative
efforts as they create a ten-minute set with a unique theme that follows a major pop culture
storyline. Audience members and fans are drawn into the drama, holding their breaths as their
favorite teams perform across ride each beat to the climax of their season – each a step closer
to the pinnacle of Legends. The connection goes far beyond mere fandom – it involves an
immersive experience of shared cultural hybridization and celebration.
In this realm, UNC Chalkaa shines in the fusion of classical and modern cross-cultural
dance styles. Founded 15 years ago, Chalkaa – “splash” in Hindi – is a premier Bollywood-fusion
dance group at UNC Chapel Hill; contrary to its name, the group focuses equally on each of its
styles, showcased individually in each segment of the set. These styles include Bhangra, Hip-
Hop, Bollywood, Contemporary, Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Jhoomar. Not to mention, the mixes to
which each segment is set could range (and have ranged) from ballads by Adele to Carnatic
classical compositions. With the addition of smaller performances or “gigs” at cultural festivals
and weddings to our primary objective of performing well during competition season in the
Spring, Chalkaa travels outside the bubble of college to underscore the unique blend of heritage
and modernity that resonates so profoundly across DDN, across universities, and across the
South Asian community as a whole.
After a remarkable competitive season last year, when Chalkaa’s high performance
earned them a top 10 spot of 160+ teams, and an eventual placement of 4th at Legends, the
team enters the 2023-2024 season with greater popularity and higher expectations in various fonts.
Through 9 hours of practice weekly, holiday parties outside of practices, and regular discussions
before/during/after practice on physical and mental well-being, our drive is both ever-present and
evolving. For DDN teams especially, a key and often overlooked contributor to a team’s success
is its culture surrounding mental and physical health. As teams get caught up in this effort
toward attaining perfection – complexity of choreography, cleanliness of formations, flow of
storyline, quality of DJ mixes, etc. – students are often pressured to sacrifice their physical and
mental health in sleep, nutrition, and even academic performance. To avoid overlooking our
health and physical needs, Chalkaa strives to create a more open and encouraging culture in
various realms, such as by regularly providing snacks, liquid IVs, vitamins, muscle rollers, and
other products at each practice, and discussing various components of health – physical and
mental wellbeing and safety – openly.
Overall, these tenets of culture allow for a healthier creation of a rich tapestry of
movement that captivates audiences. Blending these styles requires dancers to be versatile and
sensitive to the nuances of each form, and with this layer of cultural appreciation and
acceptance comes a need to promote positive interpersonal relationships and mental health by
practicing respect, open-mindedness, and kindness. The fruit of the DDN dance team
experience lies ultimately in the fair recognition and respect of both communal and individual needs.
