ABOUT GWA

What is Garba with Attitude?

For the past nine years, the Indian Sub-Continental Club (ISC) at the University of California, Irvine has hosted Garba With Attitude (GWA), a national Garba/Raas (Indian folk dance) competition, attracting student formed teams, audience members of various ages, and organizations from across the nation.

GWA has grown to become America's premier Garba/Raas competition and is the only competition of its kind on the West Coast. In its tenth year, its focus not only lies in exhibiting the values and expressions of this form of dance, but also in promoting cultural awareness. It is a platform for philanthropic awareness through fostering a competitive and professional atmosphere.

In the past nine years, Garba With Attitude has grown from five California Universities to over 200 participants from 10 Universities from across the United States. The show has had a record five year sell out point with over 1,000 audience members which include students, representatives from various organizations, family members of participants, show organizers, and garba enthusiasts.This year, Garba With Attitude is proud to say that it is working in association with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Garba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat region. The name garba comes from the Sanskrit term Garba ("womb"). Many traditional garbas are performed around a central lit lamp. Traditionally it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navarātrī. Either a lamp or an image of the Goddess Amba is placed in the middle of concentric rings as an object of veneration. Garba is also heavily influenced by Raas, a dance traditionally performed by men which uses two wooden sticks known as Dandiyas. The merger of these two dances has formed the high-energy dance that is seen today in competitions such as Garba with Attitude and all across the world.