‘Desi Hoppers’ create history

Troupe wins World of Dance competition in Los Angeles

The dance troupe Desi Hoppers won not only the World of Dance competition but also the hearts and minds of the audience. Their energetic performancewas greeted with a standing ovation. Photo: Twitter

Indian troupe Desi Hoppers — a group with members from across the country — has emerged victorious at the World of Dance competition here.

Cries of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ rent the air and the Indian tricolour was waved at the venue, the Los Angeles Convention Center, as the group was announced the winners on Sunday evening. They received a trophy and a cheque of $5,000.

They also got the ‘Crowd Favourite Trophy’ at the event — which, since 2008, has united the dance community from the U.S., Europe, South America, Asia, and Canada — that celebrates the lifestyle and culture of urban dance and music.

The troupe was started by the trio of Shantanu Maheshwari, Macedon D’mello and Nimit Kotian. 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’.

East-West blend

The performance also saw a blend of western music on dhol beats. The song ‘Jumme ki raat hai’ from the Salman Khan flick

Kick became was an instant hit.

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.

The race to clinch the trophy was not easy. Dancers from 14 countries, including Canada and Mexico, participated in the competition with 34 crews.

The competition was judged by ace international dancers Matt Steffanina, Galen Hooks, Arnel Calvario, Jun Quemado and Beau Fournier.