Over 300 children from community dance schools in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut showcase their talent
‘Dance Pe Chance,’ hosted by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, a leading umbrella diaspora organization, is back after a two year hiatus.
Over 300 children from various community dance schools in the tri-state area competed in this year’s event at Patriots War Memorial Theatre, Trenton New Jersey, on May 7 to showcase their talent.
Six to 16 year old kids and mix-age age adult groups gave mesmerizing performances with a mixed repertoire of culture and tradition set to the tune of contemporary Indian Bollywood film songs, according to an FIA press release.
Read: Call Me Dancer: An Indian ballet dancer rises from Mumbai slums (September 10, 2021)
A total of 16 different performances were showcased by the groups with colorful production lighting backdrops props and music. These included non scoring performances by adult dancing groups.
Over $20,000 were given in cash prizes. The first price being of $5,000 was shared in a tie between Aum Dance Creations and Atma Dance Studios.
Dance pe chance over its nearly four decades has seen the participation from nearly 19,000 children in the competition aiming to bring the diverse cultures and traditions of India, the release said.
The judging panel comprised renowned Kathak dancer and actress Guru Archana Joglekar, Bollywood choreographer and director Kush Banker, popular actress of South Indian films Manya, and the star emcee, Bollywood actress Mannara Chopra.
Deputy Counsel General of India, New York, Dr. Varun Jeph thanked FIA for engaging the community’s children with such confidence and discipline-building engagement that also instills Indian culture through the form of dance.
FIA President Kenny Desai thanked the judges, sponsors and FIA executive team and invited the community to participate in numbers for the India Day Parade in Manhattan in August.
FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya remembered FIA’s founding member Yash Paul Soi and his contribution to FIA and to the DPC event over the past four decades.
He thanked the Piscataway Township. and Council member Kapil Shah for naming the Piscataway cricket field in the memory of Jay (Jaswant) Mody.
Jay Mody was a lifelong FIA volunteer and a community leader who served various organizations for over 40 years.
Read: 38th Edition of FIA’s ‘Dance Pe Chance’ dazzles after 2 years (May 9, 2022)
FIA Vice President & Dance Pe Chance Chair Saurin Parikh thanked all the sponsors, media partners and the Consulate General of India, New York for their uninterrupted service to the community during the pandemic.
With the help of sponsors and supporters, all meals and close to 400 tickets were given to the participating students to stay committed to FIA’s vision of engaging next generation of Americans of Indian origin with India and its culture.
Actress Mannara Chopra with choreographers Sandesh Shetty and Deepa Pais gave a grand medley performance during the half-time show.