Marquette Mazaa

With finals week coming to an end, we'd like to finally present to you guys our routine from this year. It allowed us to win first place at Nachte Raho and compete at Jazba Entertainment, Midwest Dhamaka, and Buckeye Mela. Before that, however, we want to thank some very important people we want to thank.

First of all, a huge thank you to Shaunak Roy, ROYAL, for creating our amazing mix. We are so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to work with someone this talented, who took our vision to new heights.

Another big shout to our managers Riddhi Vakil and Norly Rueda who have become the team's backbone. We could not thank you guys enough for your endless hard work and dedication that extended far beyond the tasks required for your respective roles.

Next, another big thank you to our captains Brianna Lukose, Priya Patel, Kevin Panthaplackel, and Josh Gillani. From creating the storyline, handling the choreography, and managing all other aspects of running a team, these four have demonstrated an undying passion for dance and the team, and we are forever grateful for that.

Last but not least, we could have not gotten anywhere without the 17 incredibly talented dancers that you see in the routine. Not only have they pushed themselves to improve as dancers, but they made Mazaa a family and truly a year for the books. Please enjoy everyone's hard work!

Nachte Raho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIMm18L_YRU

Midwest Dhamaka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdvAxJjKatA

Jazba:
Front Row- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-S2Ib-3Vuk&t=234s
Back Row- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrCXKP3L8Nk&t=352s

Buckeye Mela:
Front Row- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdKlN2WnMiQ&list=PLHcgGowZYlYHSpJbL0EeGZp1yKtJiKOO0&index=13
Back Row- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utLNxvBPs5M&list=PLHcgGowZYlYHzt2Th8OnxbP2jzH4K-V9F&index=1

[1ST PLACE] Marquette Mazaa | Nachte Raho 2019 Enjoy Marquette Mazaa's performance at Nachte Raho 2019!

Our amazing three year captain, Kevin Panthaplackel, has shifted his focus to his independent choreography now that his time with Mazaa has come to a close. Check out his first project on YouTube!

Videography and mix by Arshdeep Singh Dhaliwal

'Adchithooku x Lalaa Kadai Saanthi' | KP Choreography | @djyabo x @marquettemazaa For my first video, I present to you Dapankuthu (South Indian Folk) style choreography with a little Hip-Hop fusion. Hope you like it! ...

Mazaa’s 2018-19 season has come to an end. We’d like to share with you guys a brief compilation of some of the amazing ~memories~ we shared as a team this year. Huge shoutout to Raul Rueda Jr for creating this amazing video for us. Enjoy!

Watch in HD!

Marquette Mazaa 2019

Happy birthday to our captain, Priya Patel, and Neethara Abraham! Of course our favorite big/little duo happened to also be birthday twins! We hope you both had an awesome day!

Hi hello! 👋

Mazaa season 6 might be wrapping things up for the year, ( 😭), but that just means that preparation for Mazaa 7 is in full swing! Ever wondered how you could be a part Mazaa, even if dancing’s not your thing? Apply to be a manager!

Our managers are a key part of the team, working with captains and dancers to bring our creative visions alive on stage. Managing a dance team means making loads of new friends, learning about the dance circuit, and having a ton a fun along the way!

Applications close May 3rd, and will be followed up with an interview. Click on the links to find out more about each position.
Can’t wait to hear from you, don’t delay 😉

Artistic Director: https://tinyurl.com/MAZAAAD
Logistics Manager: https://tinyurl.com/MAZAALM
Finance Manager: https://tinyurl.com/MAZAAFM

shoot us a message if you have any questions!

Artistic Director Do you have a theater background, or are you someone who has a background in stage productions/dance productions? Would you consider yourself artsy and creative? This would be a position where your strengths can shine! Job Description: -Costumes/Props; this is a crucial part of our production as a t...

Happy (late) birthday to our very own “A***n Shah” hope 21 treats you well!

With the numerous requests to release our mix, here is our 2018-2019 mix! Thank you Shaunak Roy for making us this killer mix! It was such an amazing collaborative experience, and he had such a big role in conveying the raw emotion that we wanted the audience to feel. In addition, we are proud to say that this mix is unique with 5 different languages (English, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, and Bengali). It also contains samples of original piano compositions made by Shaunak himself. Enjoy!

Marquette Mazaa @ Nachte Raho 2019 (1st Place) For their 2018-2019 competition season, Marquette Mazaa explored the story of two friends, Kajal and Sanjana, as Sanjana battles retrograde amnesia. A huge thank you to Mazaa's captains, Kevin, Priya,

Happy birthday Rhea Thomas! We hope you had a wonderful day and had lots of froYO to celebrate!

Last but not least, we’d like to introduce you to our fourth and final captain, Kevin Panthaplackel. Kevin is a senior majoring in DDN...just kidding, marketing and HR with a minor in psychology. He has been on mazaa for 4 years and a captain for 3. It’s an understatement of how valuable of an asset Kevin has been to mazaa. He goes to raynor to watch dance videos and his school notebooks always have random formations. He can visualize production and choreography so uniquely, which has helped mazaa reach new heights this year. When he’s not living or breathing mazaa, you can catch him eating 5 plates of chicken nuggets at cobeen. Kevin loves “eeeeverything” and “eeeeveryone”, which make him one of the most social and valuable members of ISA. Our South Indian king can shake his hips better than shakira can. He’s the go-to boyfriend or uncle for all his girl-friends, but don’t worry - he has a lot of brothers too (Renee 224, if you know you know). Although he is an expert in the circuit, our captain lacks some serious street skills. Literally, he can’t parallel park and he has a collection of parking tickets because he refuses to read the signs. It’s a miracle we trust him to drive us to all our competitions. He also thought that Joann’s fabric store was an aunty who sold costumes. Better yet, he thought “choli ke peeche” was a sad song....anyways, the love the team has for this man is inexplicable. Kevin came into mazaa being a back ground dancer to being a well respected captain and lead. In other words, he went from zero to hero. In his past three years of being a captain, he went through so many hurdles and problems, but he never let those problems get to him. He battled those issues and brought mazaa to the heights we’ve reached now. The things Kevin has done for this team for inexplainable. He poured his heart and soul to this team and he deserves medal for being the best captain (even though he hasn’t placed at any of the olympics 😉). Kevin Panthaplackel left his mark at Marquette and Mazaa and he will always be known as the man who made mazaa amazing. We love you kevin, always and forever. Come watch this legend at his last performance on mazaa and last ISA show tonight, and trust me you won’t want to miss it.

The show is tomorrow, so let’s meet our next captain and lead, Brianna Lukose. Brianna is a junior majoring in psychology. However, she probably wishes she switched her major this year because she was stuck with 5 exams during a competition week. During this week, you would think that Brianna was tirelessly studying, but she was actually wrapped up in a blanket watching Grey’s Anatomy. If you are near this princess during these times she will make you order her chick-fil-a. Not just when she is watching TV, but whenever she goes out in public, she’s like a little kid who always wants something. When she doesn’t get what she wants, she will yell at you until she does. Don’t be startled by the yelling though, it’s just her sign of affection. If anyone spills a drink on someone on the team, Brianna will be the first one to swing. Brianna is clearly a girl with a lot of love, but sadly this love was unrequited at competitions this year, and she had to retire from the olympic sport she was a founding father of. 3 years ago, when she tried out for the team, everyone knew this girl was here to stay. There wasn’t a single style of dance Brianna couldn’t handle effortlessly and she also had an unbreakable memory power. She became a captain the next year, but had to face unthinkable hardships. She tackled every single one with the utmost poise that nobody would expect from a first year captain. Now, after her second captaincy, Brianna has set an extremely high benchmark on what an ideal leader should be like and calling her contributions remarkable would be an understatement. She fought against financial and logistical restrictions to provide the routine with more props and an elaborate set design. She also challenged all notions of Mazaa not having enough talent to execute complex choreography by not only creating intricate and immensely creative choreography, but also pushing the dancers by drilling them to perfection. Brianna has clearly worked so hard to elevate the name of Mazaa, in the dance circuit, and everyone on the team will proudly say, for the rest of their lives, “I was on Mazaa Brianna’s year.” You don’t want to miss her award winning performance as Kajal at the ISA show on March 22nd and 23rd.

The show is only 2 days away, so let’s meet the captains! Our first captain is Josh Gillani, a senior majoring in Finance and Marketing. Josh is studious, however, if you creep up behind him at the library, you will probably catch him watching basketball. He eats, breathes, and sleeps for basketball. You can quiz him on anything about the sport and he will know it. It totally makes sense on why he works for the Milwaukee Bucks. If you ever want tickets to their games, just ask him and he will take you with. Just beware of the fact that he will sing along to every single song played in the car ride. Josh knows every single word to every single song released from mid 2000s to now. You should also hit Josh up if you want deals on anything because he is a walking coupon book. If you ever go to McDonald’s with him, you both could walk out with a large drink, fries, and chicken nuggets. However, he probably would have only paid $1 for all of that. Also, once he bought a pair of women’s Adidas joggers because they were on sale. He wears these joggers constantly to practice except for that one time when they were in the wash, and he showed up in swimming trunks. Josh truly loves all his clothes. Do not ever misplace them or we will scream, at the top of his lungs, “WHERE IS MY F****** SHIRT.” Even though he might yell like this sometimes, the team truly loves Josh. He is a genuine guy who just wants to see everyone succeed. Josh came into Mazaa, 3 years ago, with no previous dance experience. He worked tirelessly not only to master the basic dancing skills people take years to develop, but also to take this ability to the next level and achieve the ability to do complicated choreography well. This is exactly the reason why he stands today as the captain of a team he used to be one of the weakest dancers of. He showcases passion and dedication in everything he does for Mazaa so there is no one as perfect as him to step into the role of a captain who should be leading by example. Come to the ISA show on March 22nd and 23rd and see all of his hard work come to life on stage.

For our next board introduction, let’s meet senior, Riddhi Vakil. Riddhi is our Financial Manager, so it makes sense that she is an Accounting and Finance major who is also part of the prestigious AIM program. Now this might make you think that she reads the Wall Street Journal everyday, but no. Her favorite book is Twilight because she has an obsession with blood sucking vampires. Sometimes she reenacts what they do by taking ketchup and putting it all over her neck. Her fantasy with mysterious things is also apparent in her liking towards dark allies. Never leave her alone in one. You have no idea what she will do. Coming to her job, she may be the only person on the team who hates production. Every time we want to spend money on a new costume or prop, Riddhi has a panic attack and gives us a lecture on how we can’t afford it. We continue to beg her and she somehow comes up with a way to pay for it. This is probably why Mazaa has one of its most balanced budget in years and went from bankrupt to just broke. When she joined Mazaa, she thought she would just have to manage the account. She didn’t realize that she would be just as out of breath as the dancers during the performance. This girl runs all around backstage, operating the lights and fog machines as well as changing costumes. She is such a pro at these costume changes to a point where she can change 3 girls at once in pitch black. Be careful though, sometimes she might get too excited and take your undershorts off. Clearly she knows how to give stress the middle finger and that’s one of the main reasons why she excels in this extremely difficult job. Problems get thrown at her left and right, but she swings all of them out of the ballpark without letting the team worry for even a second. She will always have a solution, and if she doesn’t, she won’t think twice before she writes a $100 check that she knows will bounce. We can’t thank her enough for all the hard work she has done for Mazaa and you all have the opportunity to see it at the ISA show on March 22nd and 23rd, so you don’t want to miss it!

It’s now time to meet our board members. This is Norly Rueda, our logistics manager. Norly is a junior majoring in Marketing. She is the only non Indian on the team. However, she watches Bollywood movies by herself, can sing along to all the Indian songs in our routine, and speaks fluent Malayalam. If you are ever walking on a street and hear curses in Malayalam behind you, turn around and you will most probably see Norly. She can clearly handle multiple languages, but surprisingly she pronounces some words differently. When you see her, you should ask her to say “lasagna.” Also, once she pronounced the name Nandini as “Nibiya.” However, she will always pronounce the name of her favorite cartoon character, Scooby Doo, properly. Once Norly got to meet him and she said “OMG YAY.” This Latina beauty is not foreign to dance as well. She is extremely flexible and can even do Bhangra, but she might rip her pants. If she tried out for the team, she will probably make it, but maybe next year. This year, we were blessed to have a manager as creative as her. She is the person behind the artistic flyers. In addition, she made sure that we had the best looking costumes, so she went through a lot of, in her words, “fugly” options. She might say the same thing about a guy if she is not impressed. But if she is……(watch Brianna after Priya puts the ball down in South Indian). Norly does get “hella ass,” but not in the way you are thinking. During our car rides to competitions, she always gets stuck in the packed car and everyone squishes around her. Norly clearly sacrifices her comfort for the team, and this selfless attitude is common for everything she does. The captains constantly throw stuff at her, with short notice, and she will get it done so efficiently without even complaining. She always puts the team first and you can catch her doing Mazaa stuff even before she is asked to. In fact, often times, she will be the one reminding the captains to do something. Come to the show on March 22nd and 23rd and watch Mazaa perform. You may not see her on stage, but the routine you will see has her blood, sweat, and tears as much as any other dancer and she deserves just as much credit.

For our next introduction, let’s meet Tarini Mitra.Tarini is a senior majoring in Biomedical Sciences and minoring in Spanish. Tarini is very serious about her studies, but she is equally serious about her body. This gym freak works out every day. This explains her extreme flexibility and her ability to do all the athletic moves in the routine effortlessly. Tarini will also cry with depression if she happens to eat some fries. Good thing she is not allowed to eat half of these unhealthy foods because she is basically allergic to everything. So, this is why when she finds something to eat, she pigs out and creates a huge mess. If you ever see spilled guac or salad in a car it’s most probably her. Also, if you see fragments of food on her clothes it’s probably from months ago. This girl is always hungry and also thirsty, not for drinks, but for gossip. Tarini is the literal encyclopedia of Marquette, she knows everything about everyone. If someone makes this effort to know everything about her by stalking her Instagram or you can even boost her ego, she will instantaneously be attracted to you. Some other advice to the guys who fall for this Mazaa bombshell, take her to noodles and company and shave off your hair. She likes bald men except for that one fairytale weekend where she met a prince charming who was the direct opposite. When we don’t place, yes the team gets sad, but we are always happy to see Tarini win the gold medal in another olympic sport that takes place after the performance. She has taken the standard of this sport to new heights, and has created a legacy that will always live on even after her retirement this year. She has left the same benchmark when it comes to her passion for Mazaa and dance as well. Tarini was devastated when she had to take a brief hiatus from Mazaa last year, but even from the sidelines she supported Mazaa so much by coming practices and competitions. This year she came back to Mazaa without having lost a single component of her dancing poweress. Come watch this incredible performer dance with Mazaa one last time on March 22nd and 23rd. Also, if you want tickets for Legends, I’m sure Tarini can hook it up with her connections.

Exactly one week till the first night of the show, so I’d like to introduce to you, Manpreet Singh. Manpreet is a senior majoring in Finance. It’s quite funny because it’s his third year saying that, at the same time, it’s sad because we know he’s actually leaving us this year. Although he is a Finance major, it is probable that he will pursue a career in modeling. Cameras love this Ranbir Kapoor look alike. Just like the cameras, the ladies love this man but he constantly has to use the phrase “keep in mind that I am in a relationship.” Every time we go to a competition, Manpreet is the first person to make sure that there is Wifi and service available for the non stop talks with his someone special. I should probably stop talking about this. David might be getting jealous because if you read his post you would know that they share an intense bromance. Manpreet desires that everyone else on the team feels the same love he does, so plays cupid for the team. Manpreet, as a wingman, has a 99% success rate. For the girls, not only will he bring a guy to them, but he will also give that guy a little pep talk before approaching the girl. However, sometimes that guy will fall for Manpreet instead of the girl and slide into his DM’s the next day. This just shows how charismatic Manpreet is. He can say the most blunt and awkward things, but nobody will think anything of it and just laugh because it’s Manpreet. If you read Ammu’s post, you would know that she has a baby sister named Ava that the team goes crazy for whenever Ammu sends snaps. Once, Manpreet asked, “who’s that little girl everyone is obsessed with.” This is Manpreet’s second year on Mazaa. You might recognize him in his 5 seconds of fame as Dr. Shots in last year’s routine. He was a phenomenal manager last year, and in fact, he is the first person, in the history of Mazaa, to jump from manager to dancer. That jump was definitely not easy, especially since he had no previous dance experience. However, he worked tirelessly to become such an incredible dancer and this year, his 5 seconds turned into 8 minutes of fame. Come check out all of Manpreet’s hard work at the ISA on March 22nd and 23rd.

The show is only 8 days away, so that means it’s time to meet our last junior, Maria Shenny! Maria is an English major with a minor in Psychology and Biology. You can definitely tell that she’s majoring in English because this girl is really smooth with her words. Talk to her for just 5 minutes and she will make you blush. Also, if you didn’t know, she is the creative mind behind the dialogue in this year’s routine. Her true English major comes out when she calls a problem, during dance practice, a “spelling mistake.” Maria is such a character and is adored by each and everyone on the team. She is extremely talented in picking out flaws in people’s performance, and working with them personally to fix them in the most encouraging way. This is Maria’s 3rd year on the team as well, and we are very proud to see her improvement into a polished dancer and strong choreographer. Maria never hesitates to contribute her ideas to the choreographers. She also has an amazing ability to cater to the musicality of every song, this is really apparent in Bhangra, the dance she is choreographing for the show. You clearly don’t want to miss anything she brings to the show, so make sure you are at Weasler on March 22nd and 23rd.

With only 9 days left until the show, we’d like to introduce our next member, Nadia Malik. Nadia is a junior majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Public Health. However, if you look at Nadia, it’s hard to believe she’s not a fashion major. She is clearly the team fashionista and the other girls usually fight over or call dibs on the items in her wardrobe. In addition to being a fashion expert, Nadia is a pro at baking. Whenever there are special occasions, we always look forward to Nadia’s mouth watering desserts. The team also never has the fear of missing out on certain moments because Nadia is always the first person to capture it. She is the team’s snapchat queen and if you ever want to look back on specific times, Nadia will most probably have it saved on her phone. The only time Nadia doesn’t have her phone on her is when she is driving. She is one of the team’s designated drivers and she is quite good at it as well. If it takes 7 hours to get to Ohio, she will get you there in 6. The only time she will hand over the steering wheel is when someone special comes to visit, and then you might have some surprises such as crashing into an ambulance. Nadia is, by far, one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. There has never been a practice where Nadia hasn’t made the effort to ask, the people around her, how their day has been. She will always come to practice with a warm spirit and positive attitude no matter how rough her day has been, and we admire that so much. Nadia is also another member who has stuck with the team since her freshman year and she has left no stone unturned when it comes to improvement. Nadia, who came into Mazaa with hip hop as her forte, now handles all styles of dance effortlessly and is one the team’s role models when it comes to hitting your moves hard. Come watch this passionate dancer give it her all on stage at the ISA show on March 22nd and 23rd. She is also a choreographer for Bollywood Fusion, so you don’t want to miss that either!

Next, we’d like to introduce Raj Patel. Raj is a junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering and if you have seen the routine, you will recognize him as the heartbreaking jerk, A***n Shah. However, he is the complete opposite. Raj is known to apologize 1,000 times even when it’s not his fault. Raj also sang bhajans as a kid and if you really force him, he will sing one for you now. Also as a kid, Raj was called “jar,” his name spelled backwards. This is probably because this kid opened a “jar of emotions” for every minute thing. Apparently, Raj used to cry a lot. You can make fun of him for drinking whole milk and sleeping with a bra mask on, and he would burst out in tears. He definitely doesn’t cry as much anymore, but he definitely still has that sensitive side which the team loves so much. In fact, we all call him “rajubhai” because he is the perfect brother. Ladies, don’t get us wrong though, he will only be a brother to the girls on the team. Raj will take you on a romantic date to McDonald’s and buy you a McChicken. Raj’s commitment to the team is really something we should all admire. During competition weeks, when we tend to have practice every night, he never complains about his 50 minute commute. We are really grateful for that, and the fact that he stays awake behind the wheel because we know he has trouble with that. This commitment to the team and dance is what made Raj go from an average dancer his freshman year to one of our strongest performers and a lead this year. Raj has also shown strong leadership qualities, this year, by becoming someone the captains can trust to take care of things when they are away, and a strong role model the team can look up to when it comes to hardwork and discipline. Come watch this Bollywood heartthrob sing along to Pehla Nasha and bring you back to the nostalgia of your first crush with his magical guitar and iconic dimples. The show is on March 22nd and 23rd, and ladies you don’t want to miss it. Rumor has it that he will be shirtless.

With only 11 days till the show, it’s time to meet our next junior, Neethara Abraham. Neethara is a junior majoring in Biomedical Sciences and minoring in Business. Neethara is one of the most talkative people you will ever meet. Even in a crowded elevator that is stuck, she is the perfect person to break the ice. It only takes 30 minutes, she will make people feel comfortable enough to share things and she will tell you about how she took the DAT in the summer. In your conversation with her, some weird sounds might slip out. The most popular one that the team constantly hears is “hein.” Also please clearly enunciate your name for her. She has a hard time pronouncing the names of some Indian boys. Neethara also shares a very interesting relationship with her car. We are yet to meet someone this chill with their car. Smashing it against the side of the garage is just a normal Friday morning for her. But with all jokes aside, this car has literally become a member of the team, carrying all our production for every comp and we thank Neethara so much for letting us use it. This shows how selfless and giving she is, and we can confidently say the same about her as a dancer. It still shocks us when she says that she has never danced before. She completely surrendered herself to the process with the eagerness to learn and improve, and that clearly started to show right from the start. With having no dance experience before and being a new member to Mazaa, she was placed in every single dance and makes complex choreo her slave. Come check Neethara out at the ISA show on March 22nd and 23rd! She is also a member the ISA E-Board and one of the main attractions of skit. Right after the performance make sure you get some cake to celebrate, and be sure to tap her on the shoulder and ask “what’s the plan?”

Our next junior is David Joseph aka Davukins. David is a junior majoring in Computer Engineering, but one would think that it is basketball. Balling is literally David’s biggest obsession and oftentimes we wonder if it overtakes Mazaa. No matter how badly he gets injured and we tell him not to play during the season, he won’t stop. With that being said though, no matter how intense the pain from the injuries are, he will push through and give every practice his 100 percent. David is clearly such a nice guy, except for when he tells the entire school he is going to ask someone to a dance but then takes another person instead. But don’t get me wrong, David is a sweet guy. If you ever need help taking off your pants, he will be the first person to ask. In addition to Pushti, David is also a choreographer for Bollywood Retro in this year’s ISA Show. I wonder why the dance is so romantic this year? Speaking of romance, the whole team knows that David’s true love is actually for Manpreet. The two have the biggest bromance on the team. They will only sleep next to each other and they will even wear matching clothes to the afterparty. It’s not just Manpreet, the whole team loves David so much. He is extremely kind and considerate to everyone on the team. You will never catch David saying anything rude or disrespectful and is honestly one of the most genuine people you will ever meet. David’s passion for dance is something that everyone should learn as well. His love for the art form is clearly evident in the way he constantly works to get better at it with the most positive attitude. Come check out the countless hours of hard work at the ISA show on March 22nd and 23rd!

Next we’d like to introduce to you, Pushti Patel. Pushti is a junior majoring in HR and IT. Pushti may seem shy and soft spoken at first, but we really suggest you get to know her. She is the biggest lowkey savage you will ever meet. She sometimes says the funniest and sassiest things, and the team eagerly waits for these moments. Pushti is another girl on the team who is insanely flexible. In fact, she can take her leg and wrap it around her head. Even with an extremely flexible body, Pushti still manages to somehow be the injury queen of Mazaa. She is constantly hurt, someway or another, but always manages to defy the injury and kill it for every performance. Pushti is insanely talented in contemporary and classical so make sure your toes are pointed in front of her. Similarly, make sure your wings are on point as well because she is the team’s makeup guru. As much as we love Pushti, we love Pushti’s dad as well. Because of him, Mazaa actually has production this year with the really cool fog machine. We really missed Pushti last year when she took a break year. Even though she took a break from dancing for a year, she hasn’t lost it one bit! If anything, she is stronger. In addition to being a polished dancer, she has proved to be a good role model for other dancers to look up to. She is always so motivated and disciplined and that is something everyone respects so much. Come see her performance at the ISA show on March 22nd and 23rd and you will see some of the cutest facials you will ever see. Pushti also happens to be a choreographer for Bollywood Retro, so don’t miss her in that dance as well!