The Desi Hoppers are the first team to ever represent India at the competition.
By Raif Karerat
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A troupe of eight Indian dancers who call themselves the Desi Hoppers were crowned victors of the World of Dance championship in Los Angeles, Calif. on August 15, after beating competitors from 14 other nations.
The first ever Indian troupe to represent the country at the championship, Desi Hoppers impressed the judges with their energy and unique dance, which had a mix of Indian dance moves seamlessly merged with international dance styles, according to the Hindustan Times.
As first prize winners the Desi Hoppers received a gleaming trophy and a check for $5,000.
“I still can’t believe that we won the first prize. There were so many tough competitors, who performed with about 50 to 70 people while we were just seven. We don’t know what we will do with the money,” said Nimit Kotian, one of the three founders of the group along with Shantanu Maheshwari and Macedon’D’mello. “All our hard work –rehearsing for 12 hours, finding mistakes in our video again and again, and patiently working towards our goal, has paid off,” Nimit, a native of Mumbai, told the Indo-Asian News Service.
Shantanu, who hails from Kolkata but is now based in Mumbai, dedicated the win to “the citizens of India.”
India’s spirit of “unity in diversity” was very much in evidence as the Desi Hoppers wore white outfits with Indian tricolor armbands and strutted to desi-inspired beats at the finale of the global competition, which was judged by ace international dancers Matt Steffanina, Galen Hooks, Arnel Calvario, Jun Quemado, and Beau Fournier.
“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, according to the Press Trust of India.
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WORLD OF DANCE