On Friday afternoons, after the commotion of boba fundraisers, MV Raas gathers in the rally court to run through formations and choreography to perfect their performance. These practices allow them to have a presentable routine to perform at shows throughout Bay Area high schools during second semester.

According to junior and MV Raas captain Pallavi Srinivas, the first show of the unofficial season is Dil Se, held by Irvington HS in Fremont. To perform at the 2020 January show, teams like MV Raas must audition in November. MV Raas has been performing at this show since 2010 when the team was formed; however, despite the team passing the audition, senior Divya Shridar knew that their spot on the show wasn’t guaranteed. 

Due to the  relatively limited criticism the team received, Srinivas had a feeling MV Raas made the lineup. The feedback that the team receives can focus on many different aspects of the audition, ranging from the complexity of formations to the intricacy of the choreography. For MV Raar, they were told they needed to work on keeping their dandiyas in hand.

“When we figured out we had made Dil Se, we were elated because it is the first show we try out for in the year and it is happy to see the hard work we have put for the first month pay off.”

Pandian claims that the team practiced once a week for a month to audition with two minutes of their mix. She was very happy with the result of the audition because making the first show of the year meant that their hard work paid off. 

Srinivas enjoyed the full day experience and how other MVHS Indian dance teams bonded at the show. She also credits the fact that Dil Se consists of two shows in one day, an afternoon and evening show, something that her teammate Shridar also enjoys.

“They were really nice and they were like, ‘Whenever you’re ready [to go on stage]’,” Shridar said. “It felt so crazy, especially in the evenings it gets really hyped, people are screaming, and I can barely hear the music, it’s a nice feeling.”

Click below to watch MV Raas perform at Dil Se 2019: