Together, all 16 rock!

Mona

A hero’s welcome is what Sarvan and his gang got as they got out of the airport on Monday evening. The gathered crowd cheered for them and as many as 30,000 people witnessed their dance performance in their colony — Mauli Jagran, near Chandigarh. This troupe of 16 mainly comprises kids of fruit and vegetable vendors! And some of them have been doing odd jobs to support themselves and their families. “It’s the first time our colony has witnessed such a performance,” shares an elated Vinod, who along with Sarvan got this troupe together.

“We are already a winner in our people’s eyes,” says rather choked Sarvan. The feat they have achieved is making it to the finale of Star Plus’ Dance +. The journey to their telly dream hasn’t been easy though. Prithviraj, 18, shares on how he was crying one day that he got no money to pay for his dance classes and was taken in like many others who couldn’t afford the fee! Sarvan-Vinod would take classes in Kalagram and more than for kids who could pay the fee they opted for the ones who were really passionate about dance! It has paid off well.

This crew is already booked for a performance at a gala event in Goa for New Year’s Eve and that’s not the final destination — it’s the World Hip Hop Dance Championship held annually at Las Vegas that they are aiming next.“You know if we win this competition, we will get one year contract in which we would dance at prestigious platforms. And who knows a movie follows!” says Raja.

From humble backgrounds, they have fought challenges right from financial to time crunch and don’t shy away from admitting that they have been doing petty jobs to pursue their passion. “We chose dance because anyone who is wiling to give in their 100 per cent can reach the top whether he is educated or not, has the money or not,” shares Naresh.

In Dance +, they were pitted against the professionals and admit that in round three their performance was not up to the mark. “We got so disappointed. We asked ourselves if we are here to have just the free food for there is nothing else for us anyway, but with Remo Sir’s encouragement and hours and hours of practice we got our touch back.” they share.

All 16 are simple and sincere. But one rather difficult question … has anyone of them been to a police station? “Yes, once I lost my SIM card and went to police station, they sent a constable along to search for it,” said an innocent one!

Later, Vinod elaborated, “Yes, some of us have seen all kinds of people and all kinds of activities going on, but trust us dance has given us all a definite direction. God-willing, we will train many more children like them.”

To help them win, you can vote for your very own Question Mark crew from Chandigarh by giving a missed call on 18002740216 and if you haven’t already, catch them in action at Dance + finale on October 11, Sunday, at 8 pm on Star Plus.

mona@tribunemail.com