On Monday, May 6, Homes, a hip hop dance crew from Mumbai, was declared the winner of World of Dance, an American reality TV show. Homes has not only won the title but also a $1 million cash prize.
For Season 3 of World of Dance, the five finalists were Homes, Los Angeles-based Unity LA, Filipino hip hop crew VPeepz, contemporary soloist Briar Nolet, duo Elli and Ava, and crews.
Homes scored 100 points from each of the three judges, giving them the highest average of all the five finalists. The judges also personally congratulated the crew members, all of whom were ecstatic and emotional, on stage.
On Instagram, Homes said, “10 years of struggle, hard work, pain, sleepless nights, fear, sacrifices has been paid off finally!… Who knew that a group from India would reach the finals and emerge with the title of WORLD CHAMPIONS. But, we did it and converted our dream into reality with hard work and determination.”
The first runner-up was Unity LA with a score of 95.7, the second Ellie and Ava with a score of 95, and the third VPeepz with a score of 93.7.
Executive producer of the show and judge Jennifer Lopez said to Homes, “It has been such an incredible honour and pleasure to watch you guys. You really brought a level of excitement to this competition that is unprecedented.”
What is World of Dance?
World of Dance started off as a dance event that first took place in the US in 2008. It has since developed into a reality TV series on NBC, where soloists, duos, and teams compete against each other for the title. The show features a range of dance genres, from hip hop and break dance to ballet and ballroom.
“Here, we celebrate creative expression in all its forms. From dance and music to apparel and design, we believe that art and passion can change the world,” says World of Dance. The event is also aimed at creating a community of millennials interested in dance.
The American TV series currently has Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough as the judges and Scott Evans as the host. Lopez is also the show’s executive producer.
Since 2008, World of Dance has grown into an international reality TV show hosted in 25 countries—US, South Africa, France, Peru, Poland, Russia, Germany, Romania, Dominican Republic, Trinbago (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago), Japan, Rome, Belgium, the Philippines, UK, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Colombia, Panama, Australia, Lithuania, South Korea, Canada, Denmark, and others.
The show has also been hosted in India.
In 2018, World of Dance came to Chennai where Ranjith Anand came first in the 18 and above showcase-only division and OPM won the team division.
In 2017, Mumbai hosted World of Dance where the Trixeans Crew won in the showcase-only upper division.
All about Homes
Homes comprises 14 men from Nalasopara, a suburb in Mumbai, aged between 17 and 27—Ritesh Vishwakarma, Karthik Priyadarshan, Shijin Ramesh, Chandan Acharya, Sunny Chatterjee, Mohan Pandey, Charles Edward, Pratik Gojare, Prem Bhawar, Pavan Rao, Raja Das, Hardik Rawat, Akshay Varavdekar, Hritik Gupta, and Naidu Vishwakarma.
Suresh Mukund and Vernon Monteiro founded the group in 2009 and have since rebranded it as ‘Homes’.
It has already competed as a Bollywood hip hop dance crew on Boogie Woogie, India’s Got Talent, Entertainment ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, and World Hip Hop Championship. Homes has also performed in the Indian Premier League opening ceremony in 2016.
On World of Dance, the crew has been known for high-energy performances packed with stunts and tricks. Ne-Yo called the crew’s performance the “greatest action film” he has seen.
Congratulations have poured in from well-known figures in the Indian entertainment industry, namely Farah Khan, Vishal Dadlani, Renuka Shahane, Rannvijay Singha, and Varun Dhawan.
Homes will not be competing in dance competitions anymore as it is “satisfied” with its reputation of world-class dancers.
Mukund said, “Homes (managed by Qyuki) will no longer compete in dance competitions. We have already achieved the world’s best dance group title. My team is pretty settled right now and doing shows worldwide.”
However, the crew will go on a three-month long world tour later this year and hold dance workshops in the US and Australia.
Indian representation in the US
Some Indians have begun cementing a reputation abroad, particularly in the American entertainment industry.
American-South Asian personalities Mindy Kaling, Hasan Minaj, and Kunal Nayyar are already in the spotlight, bringing their heritage with them.
Kaling starred in The Mindy Project, a show that frequently highlighted Indian culture; Minaj has discussed Indian politics and elections on his talk show Patriot Act; Nayyar, on the other hand, is known for portraying Raj Koothrappali, an Indian scientist, on The Big Bang Theory.
Even homegrown personalities have begun to find firm footing abroad.
Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment production house produced Rayka Zehtabchi’s film, Period. End of Sentence, that bagged an Oscar for the Best Documentary (Short Subject). Monga is a Mumbai resident and was widely appreciated for producing a documentary on one of the most deeply ingrained taboos in India—menstruation.
Priyanka Chopra, one of the most famous Indian actors in the US, has acted in feature films Isn’t It Romantic and Baywatch. She also starred in the TV series Quantico that catapulted her to international fame.
Chopra has made numerous appearances on daytime American talk shows and events like The Met Gala Billboard Music Awards. She also graced the cover of Vogue in 2018.
Deepika Padukone has also made a successful debut in the US. She was featured in XXX: Return of Xander Cage and has attended talk shows and events, just like Chopra. She has also been featured on the cover of American Vogue with Scarlett Johansson and Bae Doona and participated in the magazine’s 73 Questions series.
Even Aishwarya Rai, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, and Freida Pinto have all made a name for themselves abroad.
Although fame in Hollywood is no benchmark for success, Indian personalities have begun expanding their careers with international content, bringing more attention for Indian culture and content.
Rhea Arora is a Staff Writer at Qrius
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