Pune: Synchronised dancing in the middle of the road or the moves of elastic man Prabhudeva… Bollywood is inevitably an important element in the lives of Indians. Bollywood dance style – for the creative freedom that it offers – is appreciated all around the world. To celebrate this unique dance form so close to the heart of every Indian, Bollybrothers and Pune’s SIPA Dancing School had organized the second season of All Maharashtra Bollywood Dance Championship. The event was celebrated at Oasis at Amanora Mall on the occasion of World Dance Day this April 29 with award-winning choreographers Longinus Fernandes and Feroz Khan judging the event.
The event witnessed a massive response from all over the state with the open-air venue being packed with viewers and dance participants alike.
A concept curated by celebrity dance choreographer and reality show ‘Dance India Dance’ judge Feroz Khan and Sahil Sah, the championship aims to bring out the dancer in each of us and provide a platform to individuals from all walks of life – aged as young as five years old right to older dance enthusiasts.
On the occasion, Longinus Fernandes expressed his joy on being a part of such a novel and social initiative. “It has been a wonderful evening and the talent showcased has been mesmerizing and way beyond my expectations. I feel that dance is a form of expression and what can be a better way to express gratitude towards our soldiers and martyrs than by bringing a smile on their families’ face ” expressed the Slumdog Millionaire – ‘Jai Ho’ choreographer.
“Today, though there are many dance reality shows coming up, most dancers are often rejected at the audition level itself. The championship feels the need to bring together these passionate dancers and create a platform for them where they can showcase their talent to celebrity choreographers and be judged unbiased,” expressed Sahil Sah.
The motive of the All Maharashtra Bollywood Championship is to bring World Dance Day to India, starting with a state championship and slowly proceeding to national and international level.
The winners of first three positions in the under-14 category were Mishty Sinha from Nagar, Avdhoot from Pune and Sandesh Lokhande from Gujarat. Each won cash prize worth Rs 11,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively; while Vickey Mane from Pune and Vishal Naik from Mumbai grabbed the titles in the senior solo category winning Rs 21,000 and Rs 15,000 cash respectively. D-Trix and Dare Dangerous emerged as winning groups at the championship receiving a cash prize of Rs 31,000 and Rs 21,000 respectively.
The idea behind creating a first-ever Bollywood Championship was, how today, the world is sharing culture to bring multiple styles of dancing and gained popularity over time, but there is now a need to go back to our roots and recognize Bollywood and its power to connect us as a nation.
Each year, the championship associates with a social cause and this year too, they chose to honour our armed forces. “The world is facing violence, people are losing their lives. Amidst this, we feel the need to realize the sacrifice of soldiers and their families and so we are inviting and felicitating them for their service.” said Feroz Khan of Bollybrothers.
The duo sees this championship as dancers from all around Maharashtra coming together to perform as one, spread love and raise funds for the families of the martyrs.
