FIA hosts very successful 40th edition of Dance Pe Chance competition

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Hundreds of children, youth, and adults from several dance academies in the four states around New York, participated in the 40^th annual Federation of Indian Associations’ Dance Pe Chance competition held February 10, 2024, at Patriots War Memorial Theater in Trenton, NJ.

The colorful event showcased a diverse range of talent, featuring some 700 contestants ranging from 6 years to 60 years old. It was attended by some 1,700 people, all eager to witness the vibrant performances and rich heritage inspired by Bollywood themes and Indian culture. From the classical to the contemporary, performers brought forth a fusion of tradition and modernity.

“What set this event apart was the incorporation of Broadway-styled production values, adding an extra layer of grandeur and spectacle to the performances,” FIA said in its press release. That spectacle included a huge LED backdrop, professional lighting, and intricate costumes enhancing the dance and story-telling content of the performances.

Fourteen dance academies spread across four states staged 27 highly competitive performances showcasing the talent, discipline, technique, and costumes in FIAs oldest cultural competition.

Awards were handed out by FIA executives, including Padm Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, senior advisor to FIA, and chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, and Dr. Sudha Parikh, as well as Haresh Shah.

Present at the event were the Consul General of India in New York Binaya Srikant Pradhan, and Deputy Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph.

Consul General Pradhan expressed his happiness and honor to be part of the event and added that it was the biggest Indian cultural event he had attended outside India. He lauded FIA’s team for the effort put into the event, and said he looks forward to FIA’s Indian Independence Day celebrations. He also emphasized that the Consulate is committed to continue to bridge the gap between India and USA and to serving the Indian Diaspora 24/7.

Chairman of FIA Ankur Vaidya, welcomed the guests and thanked the team for their effort in bringing the event together. He especially thanked the parents of the performers who spent their valuable time, money and resources so that their children can showcase their talent on the platform provided by FIA. He said that Dance Pe Chance is being held for the past forty years and FIA has continued to increase investment in the event to make the platform for youth a growing success year after year.

Consul General Pradhan administered the oath of office to the newly elected executive committee of FIA comprising of President Dr. Avinash Gupta, Executive President Saurin Parikh, Joint Vice Presidents Smita Miki Patel & Deepak Goel, Secretary Priti Patel, Joint Secretary Mahesh Dubbal, Treasurer Sanjiv Singh and Joint Treasurer Haresh Shah.

Dr. Gupta said Dance Pe Chance not only fosters youth involvement but also stands as a testament to the unifying power of performing arts and at the same time keeps us connected to the rich Indian cultural heritage, diverse music and various dance forms, yet another way to celebrate India’s 75^th Republic Day.

The best prize winner in the Rising star Category: J4 (Junior) Elevation Beats

The best prize in the Voting App category: J5 (Junior) Rudra Dance Academy