Orissa dance group wins prize

 
Almost the entire state glued to their television sets late on Saturday evening to watch the grand finale of India’s Got Talent, the dance reality show on Colors entertainment channel in which the “Prince Dance Group” of Ambapua village located on the outskirts of Berhampur town in Orissa’s Ganjam district performed the dance version of Dasavatar, the great epoch of Hindu mythology.

When Bollywood star Rani Mukherjee flanked by Sahid Kapoor declared the Orissa group as winner, the entire state cheered. In  the capital, many youngsters were seen dancing on the streets while some others fired crackers.

However, a much bigger celebration was witnessed in Berhampur town, southern Orissa’s leading business hub, where not only the local people but the district administration also joined in to celebrate the occasion. The Ganjam district administration had set up big LCD television screens at several places in the town so that the entire town can watch their lads in the grand finale of the TV reality show. A plazma screen was also set up in Ambapua village. Almost all the members of the dance group are sons of daily wagers from the village. The group also included two physically challenged boys.

The Ganjam district administration had also launched a statewide SMS campaign requesting the people to vote for the little known dance group. The campaign was launched after the group’s stunning performance in the semifinals of the show aired on the Independence Day. Some leading corporate houses in the state, local TV channels and personalities from the Oriya film industry had also joined in the SMS campaign.

The people who eagerly watched the TV show on Saturday included state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who congratulated the dance group soon after their stunning success.

“The Prince Dance Group has made the entire state proud,” Patnaik said in a statement.

The chief minister had also participated in the SMS voting.