MUMBAI — Indian troop ‘Desi Hoppers’ made the nation proud by winning the World of Dance championship held in Los Angeles. They received a trophy along with a cheque of $5,000.
The group of dancers from across the nation beat 14 countries in the final and became the first-ever Indian crew to win the championship.
The crew led by dancers Shantanu Maheshwari, Macedon D’mello and Nimit Kotian enjoyed a great fan base in the competition and went on to grab the ‘Crowd Favorite’ title as well.
The trio were thrilled with their win and dedicated the award to India with a hope to inspire many upcoming dancing talent.
“At this point, it is difficult to explain our feeling in words, but definitely it is a proud moment for not just us, but for the entire country. There couldn’t be a better timing to win the WOD the very next day to our Independence Day.
“This is our tribute to the country. We hope that this win will definitely inspire many young Indians and give them a message that if you can dream, you can achieve them to,” the team said after winning the competition.
‘Desi Hoppers’ was formed through “Bindass Naach,” with the trio holding auditions across the country in the search of perfect dancers.
The troop underwent more than three months of intense training for the championship and their entire journey will now be aired on the channel.
India’s spirit of “unity in diversity” was very much in evidence as the group men in their early 20s wearing white outfits with tricolour handbands gyrated to ‘desi’ beats.
They staged an energetic performance by starting off with a formation of Lord Ganesha and then providing a glimpse of Indian classical dance.
After the “Ganpati Bappa Morya” religious chant, the troupe switched to fusion mode with international hits like “I got the power”, “Turn down for what” and “Old McDonald had a farm”.
The performance also saw a blend of western music on dhol beats. Salman Khan’s “Kick” song “Jumme ki raat hai” became instant hits.
The group not only got a standing ovation, but the audience was seen reaching out to the dancers after the performance to applaud their effort.
