‘Desi Hoppers’ triumphed over 40 countries and became the first ever Indian crew to win the ‘World of Dance’ championship in Los Angeles. The crew, which is led by young sensations Shantanu Maheshwari, Macedon Dmello and Nimit Kotian has created history.

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

Points to Note

• First Indian troupe to represent country at the “world of dance championship”.
• The Indian crew also won “Crowd Favourite” title as well.
• Desi Hoppers, beat 14 countries across 34 performances in the finals.

Random Facts

• First archeological proof of dance comes from the 9 thousand year old cave paintings in India.
• Lion Dance is one of the most popular religious and ceremonious dances in China and surrounding countries of Taiwan, Korea and Japan.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy for performing arts, recognizes eight distinctive traditional dances as Indian classical dances.
• The Classical Dances are Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Manipuri(Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Odissi (Odisha), and Sattriya (Assam).
• Folk dances and plays in India retain significance rural areas as the expression of the daily work and rituals of village communities.

Test Your Knowledge

Yakshagana, a famous folk dance is mainly found in (2014 UPSC Question)