Dancers across India to come together for a unique dance contest in Thane

Yo Highness is among the groups expected to perform at the finale. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

To the audience, dance crews may look cool and hip - people who mesmerise viewers with their smooth and synced moves. But while it sounds like every dancer's dream, dancer Akshay Panchal knows the hardships that crews face in reality. Hence, he has attempted to bring together a platform that not only gives dancers across the country an opportunity to showcase their prowess, but also backs them financially to meet their goals.

A dancer and member of the now-disbanded dance crew 13.13, Panchal has been curating the idea of Greatest of All Time, a country-wide dance championship, since 2019. "The challenges that my group and I faced at national and international competitions were mostly related to funding. So, we have decided on the cash prize for the winning teams of this event, keeping in mind their personal and crew expenses, and the financial support they would require for the future," he reveals.

Akshay Panchal

Pranita Bandi, a member of the core organising team further tells us, "We have had 1,000-plus registrations over the past few weeks when we held online qualifiers because not everyone can fly down to Thane for one round. Today, we will be conducting the semi-finals with 100 solo performances and 40 crews, to single out 10 each who would proceed to the finals. The competition hopes to bring to the fore performers from hip-hop, folk and other dance forms, too."

A show will be held on the finale night that is expected to be attended by a few well-known names in the dance industry. "We have seen many musical concerts; it is time that we have one for dance as well," Panchal adds. "13.13 represented India at the Hip-Hop International Dance championship in Las Vegas in 2016. We may have disbanded, but we want to provide a similar opportunity for the enthusiasts who struggle to get such a platform on a national scale. The idea is to uplift them, so that they can move forward along this career path," they both agree, before signing off.

ON April 26; 5.30 pm onwards
AT Dr Kashinath Ghanekar Natyagruha, Ghodbunder Road, Manpada, Thane West.
LOG ON TO insider.in
COST Rs 200