The grand finale of Mantri Danceotsav Season II, was held in the City recently. The judges for the finals were Salman Khan, the winner of a popular dance reality show; Padmini Ravi, bharatanatyam dancer; and Deepthi Shetty, dance director, Tarantismo Dance Academy.
The finale saw 21 performances in three categories — kids' solo, adults' solo and group performances. The contestants were shortlisted after rigorous auditions followed by the semi-finals.
Each performance had a charm of its own making it difficult for the judges to select the winner. The finalists were seen rehearsing with much enthusiasm. Their friends and family gathered around to wish them luck.
The confidence of these young artistes was quite obvious as they danced to various songs. The audience motivated them through applause and loud cheers.
The finalists had put in weeks of intense hard work and tried to put their best foot forward. "I'm excited for the finals. All the dancers are good. But I, personally, want Mirchi Moms to win," said Sakshi, a member of the audience.
The children, too, were not behind the adults. They displayed their dancing skills through various Bollywood songs and classical performances. Their expressions and the dance movements were extraordinary. Some of the finalists seemed to forget that it was a competition and danced their hearts out.
In the kids' solo category, Aadya walked away with the first prize. In the adults' solo category, Puneet Doshi was crowned the winner and in group dance, the Swapna Sundari team bagged the first prize. Cash awards of Rs 60,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 20,000 were given away as first, second and third prize respectively.
The dance competition had received an overwhelming response and registered over 500 entries. All the participants seemed to enjoy the competition and said that they will wait for the next season of the Danceotsav.
The finale saw 21 performances in three categories — kids' solo, adults' solo and group performances. The contestants were shortlisted after rigorous auditions followed by the semi-finals.
Each performance had a charm of its own making it difficult for the judges to select the winner. The finalists were seen rehearsing with much enthusiasm. Their friends and family gathered around to wish them luck.
The confidence of these young artistes was quite obvious as they danced to various songs. The audience motivated them through applause and loud cheers.
The finalists had put in weeks of intense hard work and tried to put their best foot forward. "I'm excited for the finals. All the dancers are good. But I, personally, want Mirchi Moms to win," said Sakshi, a member of the audience.
The children, too, were not behind the adults. They displayed their dancing skills through various Bollywood songs and classical performances. Their expressions and the dance movements were extraordinary. Some of the finalists seemed to forget that it was a competition and danced their hearts out.
In the kids' solo category, Aadya walked away with the first prize. In the adults' solo category, Puneet Doshi was crowned the winner and in group dance, the Swapna Sundari team bagged the first prize. Cash awards of Rs 60,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 20,000 were given away as first, second and third prize respectively.
The dance competition had received an overwhelming response and registered over 500 entries. All the participants seemed to enjoy the competition and said that they will wait for the next season of the Danceotsav.