UTV Bindaas & Shiamak Davar to launch reality TV show on street dancing
(20 May 2010 8:10 pm)
MUMBAI: Hip-hop, Krumping, B-boying, tap dance, contemporary and Bollywood are just some of the dance styles that will be hitting the streets this summer. With three other youth based dance reality TV shows already on air, one would think they've seen it all. But don't jump to conclusions just yet as Fanta's Bindaas Street Dance, India's first reality TV show to focus on street dancing, will be hitting the airwaves on 24 May, 8 pm.
UTV Bindaas, along with Shaimak Davar - mentor on the television show whose academy Shiamak Davar's Institute for the Performing Arts (SDIPA) will give the winning team a chance to train with them for one entire year, and are really excited about bringing something fresh and innovative to the audience.
Speaking about his association with the show, Shiamak Davar said, "As a mentor on the show, I will be giving my tips and guidance to the contesting teams. I will also pick a wild card entry who I believe should be given the opportunity to get a direct entry into the finals. The winners of the show will be a given a chance to train in my dance school for one entire year so they can hone their dancing skills and take it up professionally."
Sourcing some of the best talent nationally, dancers will be picked up from dance schools, colleges and local coordinators for the show. To participate in the dance-tourney, aspirants need to send their dance videos by mail and uploading it on the Bindass website.
Amplifying Bindass' youth appeal with this show, the on-air look would be of a visually appealing website comprising livechats, polls, tickers, and anchor backgrounds.
The show will run for over eight consecutive weeks and the final eight will compete in a clash of the titans!
Also speaking on the occasion, the Business Head for UTV Bindass Nikhil Gandhi, said, "At UTV Bindass, our prime focus remains to entertain the youth and that requires us to keep coming up with pioneering innovations each time, across properties and initiatives. Bindass Street Dance reinstates the same by bringing the concept of Street Dancing to the Indian shores, which is extremely popular on the international front."
Street dancing is a popular art form internationally with New York, London and a few other cities, showcasing some of the best street dancers.
While this being the fourth youth based dance reality show to be launched on a GEC this summer, the street dancing angle could be an attempt to add a unique dance format to the present lineup.
According to a dance expert, it may also be to cash in on the hype that Dance India Dance's talented youngsters brought in with moves like B-boying, krumping, locking and popping.
The half-hour show will be aired from Monday to Wednesday.
While the other three dance reality shows - Zee's Dance India Dance L'il Masters', Colors' Chak Dhoom Dhoom' and Sony's Boogie Woogie are all vying for audiences on weekdays and weekend primetime, UTV Bindaas will surely have to slug it out with the three bigwigs to garner the eyeballs.
Says Gandhi, "The BLT activities for promoting the show have already begun. They are currently being initiated in pubs and other popular youth street hangouts, where our dance troupes go and perform, urging people to join and participate in the show. The promotions and innovative on-ground activities, retail tie-up promotions and youth-centric focus seem to be working as we have already had over 7,000 entries for the show."
