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Indian Dance Crew 'Desi Hoppers' Win World Of Dance Title In Los Angeles

Indian Dance Crew 'Desi Hoppers' Win World Of Dance Title In Los Angeles

Indian dance crew 'Desi Hoppers' pulled off the perfect post-Independence Day coupe -- the team of seven young dancers were crowned the winners of the World Dance Championship in Los Angeles.

The crew led by Shantanu Maheshwari, Macedon Dmello and Nimit Kotian put India on the map as the first desi troupe to not only represent, but also win the illustrious title. According to reports, they scored 96.33 points, while the Canadians finished up second with a score of 94 points out of 34 crews from over 14 countries, bringing hope to hundreds of budding dancers in India. The competition (started in 2008) was judged by Matt Steffanina, Galen Hooks, Arnel Calvario, Jun Quemado and Beau Fournier, all internationally recognised dancers.

The trio, in an interview with Financial Express couldn’t be more jubilant: “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. Bindass Naach started as a dream and we never thought that we will reach this far. 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 too.”

The winners received a cheque of $5,000 and a trophy, along with a standing ovation from the crowd. They also won the ‘Crowd Favourite Trophy’ at the event.

Dressed in white outfits with tricolor headbands, the young dancers (all in their twenties) started with a formation of Lord Ganesha, and after the religious Ganpati Bappa Morya chant (three of them are from Mumbai) switched to more international numbers, along with a mix of 'Jumme Ki Raat Hai’ from the film 'Kick'.

According to a report, Shantanu Maheshwari, who also represents a Chandigarh team in cricket, will soon be acting in Yeh Hai Aashiqui.

It's probably safe to say these young boys have already provided Disney with a script for ABCD 3.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.