INTERVIEW : TEAM GEORGIA SAAZISH

Full of passion for dance that takes them to the edge, Georgia Saazish challenges their own capabilities every time, because as they say dance is a medium of storytelling and a brilliant piece can help the audience escape the monotony of daily life. We caught up with the team and here is what they have to say about their world.

Q: How does it feel to win the Golden Ticket to Semi-Finale? What kind of audience reaction fuels you?

A: Winning feels amazing. We all worked so hard and hearing our name announced, especially by Sarish Khan, was unreal. There is so many times that as a team we can’t seem to sync a hard move or land a jump. When we finally hit that move on stage, and hear the audience react it makes those long hours’ worth it. The greatest audience reactions are the ones that happen during a performance. They fuel us and give us the energy to keep going. No matter how tired we are, a “wooo” in the middle of a song is guaranteed to make sure our kicks stay high and our smiles stay big. 

Q: Tell us the collective years of experience of your team? 

A: Oh boy! Some of us have been dancing all our lives, while others just started in college. Saazish formed a little over a year ago in May 2017, and we began practicing September 2017. 

Q: How many hours do you practice a week?

A: Usually 7-8 hours a week. During competition weeks we practice a lot more than that. Please don’t make us reveal that number or else our parents will find out exactly how much time we spend in the studio and how little we spend in the library!

Q: Which style of dance do you think is your strongest and why?

A: Our team is comprised of dancers with experience in various styles, however hip hop and Bollywood fusion would be our strongest since it’s more our vibe. Bollywood dancing is fun and allows us to express our goofy side. When mixed with hip hop it lets us to blend both our American culture with our South Asian roots. 

Q: Do you have an Alpha/Captain/choreographer in the team? Add his/her Social Media Handle.

A: For this competition our choreographers are: Awaez Jiwani @awaezzy_25 Ankit Garla @ankitgarla Ashmal Ali @ashmalali Aly Lakdawala @amazain22 Malwin Thomas @malwin_thomas Xander Contreras @xanthedancer

Q: Tell us why it is important to have a platform for dance?

A: Having a platform for dance is important because it encourages others to continue dancing. We often see people abandoning their dreams, especially in creative fields such as dance, because there aren’t many avenues to showcase their talents. Having a platform for dance, like Dance USA Dance, sends a message to dancers everywhere that their talent is important, others also share their passion, and they have a voice. 

Q: What moves and inspires you most about dance?

A: Dance allows you to tell a story and share your passion with others. For many of us, dancing is an escape from everyday life. A good performance makes the audience clap, but a brilliant performance gives the audience a chance to escape their everyday lives, even just for a second. Having the ability to take the audience on a journey with us is what inspires us the most and it’s something we always strive to do. 

Q: What do you think the team did right to be able to win the Golden Ticket?

A: Our team chemistry is what really takes our performance to the next level. We all genuinely enjoy hanging out with each other, which is good considering we see each other for numerous hours a week. We all love performing, but more importantly, we all love performing with each other. 

Q: One thing you learnt from other participating team?

A: We were blown away by the sharpness and control the other participating teams had when performing. Each move was skillfully choreographed and brilliantly executed. 

Q: What are you focusing on for the Semi-Finale performances?

A: For the Semi-Finale, we want to make sure that we convey our message appropriately and respectfully. We hope to make others aware of how prevalent human trafficking is everywhere in the world. 

Q: Who is supporting you the most for this event? Sponsors?

A: We are self-funded. With help from our parents, and different jobs we are able to participate in this competition. Throughout the school year we have several local sponsors that fund our college competition season.

Q: Does your dance group have a dedicated social media account? 

A: Yes. Follow us on Instagram @ga_saazish, we follow back!

Q: What is the one thing you love about Dance USA Dance Season 2?

A: Dance USA Dance brings together dancers from all around the US, Canada, and the world. Not only does it give us a platform to share our passion with others, DUD gives us the opportunity to meet others who share the same passion and learn from them. 

Thank you team GeorgiaSaazish, we wish you all the best. McDonald's Dance USA Dance Season 2 TV-series, every Saturday 8 pm EST only on Zee TV USA. (Watch Episode 3 Promo)