Cal Poly Andaaz brought vivid dance and Indian culture to the stage at a national competition, hosted by the National Desi Dance League, in Las Vegas last weekend.
The team danced to their Subway Surfers theme — based on the mobile game — for the competition season, which they also performed at Illuminate in February. The group performs at Illuminate, Cal Poly’s annual cultural celebration, each year.
READ MORE: Inside Illuminate: Cal Poly’s annual celebration of culture and dance
The five-minute set was choreographed as if they were characters in the game, according to Alisha Singhal, a graphic communications sophomore who leads production for Andaaz.
The 2025-26 academic year marks the club’s fourth year on campus. As it is their first year officially competing at a bidded competition, the team did not expect to make it to nationals, said Misha Bandi, one of the club’s captains.
Bandi, a computer science senior, joined the team its first year.
“We were super amateur back then, like we didn’t really know what was going on,” Bandi said. “Never did I ever think I’d say that we placed at nationals.”
Andaaz placed fourth at Nasha at Purdue University in January and placed third at Nachle Deewane at UC Santa Barbara in March. The group’s ranking at the UCSB competition qualified them for nationals.
While the first- and second-place winners held onto their titles, Andaaz entered this weekend ranked below every other team. Andaaz placed third at finals, which team members described as a surreal feeling.
“I think making it to nationals and actually placing there says something huge about our team and the potential to show how much growth we have,” Bandi said.
For Andaaz dancers, their mindsets were not just focused on winning.
“It was more to show everyone there what Cal Poly has to offer when it comes to dance,” said Meenakshi Vinod, a graphic communications junior. “Being able to come home with two prizes was just a cherry on top.”
Niki Dube, a business administration freshman, joined Andaaz in the fall. She said that the team was doing what they loved on stage and bounced off of the crowd’s energy.
“There were mess ups here and there, but in the end, it didn’t matter,” Dube said. “We just had so much fun.”
Behind the scenes of the winning Subway Surfers theme
The team also won the Best Theme award for its Subway Surfers production.
Sreshta Talluri, a Cal Poly computer science alum, designed the set mix. Talluri was a captain last year and said he got involved because he still felt a connection to the team and wanted to help out while showcasing his talents.
“I have been really into music since I was little,” Talluri said. “Even when I was on the team, I was really into the mixes that other teams had.”
Once Talluri choreographed the dances, he based the mix off of key plot points. His blend incorporated hip-hop, contemporary, a South Indian street dance called Kuthu, the Punjabi dance Bhangra and the classical South Indian dance Bharatanatyam.
As a Bollywood fusion dance club, Cal Poly Andaaz combines American mainstream music with South Asian music to express the cultural backgrounds of the team.
“You don’t necessarily have to understand the language or understand the music, or even be familiar with it,” said Meghana Shamarayar, a public health junior and one of Andaaz’s captains.
The culture and community of Andaaz
The competition also provided the opportunity to meet big names in the Bollywood dance industry.
The judge panel was made up of Indian dance creators, including River Novin, who taught the teams a street dance workshop the next morning. Andaaz members were starstruck to see the guest of honor, Remo D’Souza, an Indian choreographer and film director.
“He’s really big in the Indian dance community,” Vinod said. “After we got to perform, he gave us direct feedback on stage and complimented the energy we had as a team.”
The team was especially proud to represent Cal Poly and the hard work Andaaz has put in, said Suhani Kashyap, a business administration sophomore.
“It was the best of the best there, and it felt really cool to be on the podium,” Kashyap said. “It helps us make a name for ourselves, which is very, very exciting for future years.”
Andaaz is now part of a nationwide circuit of Indian dance teams made up of eight college clubs.
“Hopefully one year, we’d like to host and bring the culture to our school,” Shamarayar said.
Andaaz leaders are proud of the friendships fostering within the team, according to Singhal.
“It’s so easy for all of us to become so tight,” Singhal said. “You’re traveling together, competing together and you’re going through these highs and lows together of late practices. That’s something you only experience on a team like this.”
The team has many freshman members who found an immediate connection within the community.
“Everyone’s just so welcoming regardless of your skill level and your dance experience,” Dube said.
She was healing from a leg injury during the competition season and found comfort in her teammates’ support and understanding.
“Andaaz is truly like a second family to me,” Dube said. “I really can’t imagine coming to Cal Poly and not being on Andaaz.”