In 2002 a group of students dedicated and enthusiastic about raas began the University of Michigan Raas Association (UMRA). This organization put on the first ever Dandia Dhamaka (dD) competition. Dandia Dhamaka pioneered the intercollegiate raas competition. Since then, many other competitions have been created but dD remains the largest and oldest. The upcoming 2009 show will be the 8th annual competition. Dandia Dhamaka showcases the South Asian traditional dance form of raas. Raas is a traditional, yet expressive form of Indian folk dance. It is a very active dance involving wooden sticks called dandias. The dancers hit each other's sticks to the beat of the music. It expresses the richness of Indian culture in a colorful and vibrant fashion. The goal of this competition is to promote the beauty of this art form. The competition fields 10 of the best teams from all over the country. This year's competition will be held on January 31, 2009 at the historic Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Throughout the show's history, there have been countless great individuals, teams, and performances. We invite you to witness the next great performance from the best raas teams in the country.