How can you compete against teams that make it to the top year after year? That’s the question that was running through my mind when I was captain of UNC Chapel Hill Chalkaa (2015-2017). Chalkaa was nine years old at the time, but had never truly made it on the map. I remember watching videos of teams like Northwestern Anubhav and The Men of Dance Project (MOD) and wondering, “how do they do it?” The Underdogs In the summer of 2016 when Legends was announced, there seemed to

“They won’t tell you fairytales of how girls can be dangerous and still win. They will only tell you stories where girls are sweet and kind and reject all sin. I guess to them it’s a terrifying thought, a red riding hood who knew exactly what she was doing when she invited the wild in” - Nikita Gill One of the most exciting and surreal moments of my time as a dancer in undergrad was being a part of Buckeye Fusion in 2016-2017. After almost a decade in the circuit, it was a se

AKD and Jhalak came and went, and just like that we have to wait until next year for more competitions. Don’t be too sad though, we’ve got you covered! If you weren’t at Jhalak, here’s what you need to know before this year ends: OSU Genesis, the two time defending champions at Legends, didn’t place at a competition for the first time since February of 2017. Instead, for the second straight year, Georgia Tech Qurbani claimed first place at Jhalak. The all-boys team closed out

We looked at the past decade of dance and boiled down the best performances that didn’t place at nationals. 2010 - UCB Azaad If you look back at any routine from 10 years ago, chances are you would be a bit confused. The circuit was much different back then and it is noticeably different than what we know today. Like I said, if you looked back at routines from 10 years ago it would be pretty weird, unless you were looking at UCB Azaad. This routine feels way ahead of its time

The season is officially underway as eight teams took the stage last night in North Carolina. At the end of the first weekend, here’s what you need to know: Detroit Kohinoor, an all boys team in only their second year in the circuit, managed to take home first place over formerly nationally ranked teams UC Dhadak and Buckeye Fusion. The routine featured predominantly bhangra, but the team used DDN Confessions as a way to weave in different styles and even challenge other team

Legends is now a widespread Bollywood-Fusion Championship and growing. It's garnered hundreds of thousands of views on its videos, managed to air a documentary on one of the largest Indian television networks, and has amassed a national following. At the time we were just a couple nerds looking to make some improvements in the dance circuit - we never knew what it would become. This is how we made Legends. In the Spring of 2016 an outcry of Desi Dance Network (DDN) members ma

Legends Bollywood Dance Championship will be held in Chicago, IL on April 11, 2020. You might find the reasoning interesting. Data and Dance Circuit Legends Board incorporates data into almost all of its decisions. Every year for us is a learning experience that adds to our toolkit. From the first Legends to the last, we strive for continuous improvement so that we can provide the best quality experience for our dancers. Here's what we've learned: Year 1: We learned how to ta

The Desi Dance Network was officially founded in 2014 to foster a community amongst artists engaged in competitive South Asian dance. Since the inception of the organization, Desi Dance Network has grown to include not only dancers, but all performance artists from multiple genres of South Asian performance arts (including DJs, producers, filmmakers, etc.). Desi Dance Network was founded on the principle of community building and re-empowering the South Asian community by rec