George Washington University is one of the most established colleges in the DMV area and is home to one of the oldest standing Raas teams, GW Raas. GW Raas was founded in 2001, by a group of passionate students who wanted to share the Gujarati culture through raas-garba. With their dedication and uniqueness, they are taking over the Raas circuit by storm.
Interview:
How do you recruit new members/hold auditions?
We reach out to prospective new members during the summer and fall semesters, during freshmen orientation (CI) and the Fall Student Organization Fair. We then hold teaching sessions and hold auditions soon after.
How do you approach training freshman and incorporating them into your team's culture?
After our team is formed, we plan team bonding events so that the new members can get a better idea of who we are, not just as dancers but as people outside of Raas. We have scary movie nights that turn into sleepovers, but also show our newbies how passionate we are about Raas so that they can carry the team forward one day.
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
Our goal for the upcoming season is to practice hard, further our team's name, and share our passion for Raas with others.
What do you think are the biggest challenges within your circuit?
Some of the biggest challenges within the raas circuit are balancing the traditional folk elements of Raas with modern influences, as well as adjusting to the changing criteria that are used to judge bid competitions.
What do you like most about your team/teammates?
Our shared passion and dedication to the team, but also the inside jokes and memes.
What do you enjoy most about your team?
Being able to hang out with them both within and outside of practice. Making the extra effort to see each other outside of Marvin 403 makes us feel more like a family. It is also amazing to see our diverse backgrounds coming together to create a unique set - the amount of dedication that each team member has astounds us every year.
What makes your team different from other teams in the circuit?
Flair. Passion. Resiliency.
Are there any traditions your team has?
Our team has a tradition of having team dinners at the end of each semester, but we also do several signature moves during our set such as "The Windmill" that always gets crowds hyped up to see us perform.
What are your team chants?
"To the last man" "We fight!"
"To the last beat" "We fight!"
"To the last drop" "We fight!"
"We fight!" "We fight!"
"We fight!" "We fight!"
"Whose house? "G-dub!"
"Whose house? "G-dub!"
"Whose house? "G-dub!"
[shorter version just begins at the "Whose house?" section]
Which performance is your team most proud of?
We are most proud of our performance at Maryland Masti 2016
Have there been any defining moments or particularly memorable moments for your team?
Our team has a decorated history of placing at different competitions and even winning nationals. However we are proud of all of our performances and our accomplishments regardless of whether we win or lose.
Please list 3 random/interesting facts about the team.
- We will travel any distance for Taco bell.
- About 80% of the team is from Jersey.
- We are one of the oldest Raas Teams in the country.