Zee TV’s Inaugural Dance Competition in Singapore Ends on a High Note
Dance Singapore Dance, Zee TV’s (Asia Pacific beam) reality dance competition in Singapore, has crowned its first winner after 12 episodes of its inaugural season. Shahrin Johry, 33, a professional dancer/choreographer at the Maya Dance Theatre beat over 200 contestants in the audition rounds and 11 others during the show to take home the grand prize of S$10,000.
Inaugural season ends on a high
The first season was packed with countless incredible performances, a couple of soulful, heart-wrenching pieces, triumphant victories and tearful exits. The two main judges were Shakti Mohan, winner of Dance India Dance Season 2, and Zaini Mohammad Tahir, chief choreographer of Singapore’s 2015 National Day Parade. Guest judges such as the likes of Renuka and Shobha Bhalia, Managing Director of India Se Media and Rebuka A Bhagat, Managing Partner at Masti 96.3 FM also provided their expert opinion as part of the judging panel. One of the highlights of the show was when both Shakti and Zaini made special appearances on stage to perform with the contestants.
Ms Tripta Singh, Senior Vice President, International Business, Zee TV APAC, said, “The contestants gave exceptional performances and we received positive feedback from our partners and viewers about the show. We believe that Dance Singapore Dance was useful as a platform for contestants from all walks of life to showcase their talents and pursue their dance passions. Zee TV strives to continually support initiatives such as these in the communities we operate in.”
Mr Sushruta Samanta, Business Head Asia Pacific, Zee TV APAC, said, “The inaugural season of Dance Singapore Dance has concluded successfully. On behalf of Zee TV, we would like to congratulate the finalists and winners from the competition and wish them the best for their futures. To bring this exciting reality dance competition to more of our viewers and fans, we are currently looking to expand and replicate this across other key markets in Asia Pacific.”
Contestants’ journey to the finals
Shahrin Johry, 33, winner of the inaugural Dance Singapore Dance, said “I am truly honoured to win the first Dance Singapore Dance and would like to thank everyone who supported me throughout this journey. With the prize money, I am able to make one of my dreams come true which is to create a full length dance production which will enable me to share my artistry and contribute to the local art scene in Singapore. My new creation will be called -KA- (Knowledge Attained), which I plan to showcase next year on 15-16th January at the School of The Arts (SOTA) black box. This production will be dedicated as a gift to my teachers who have taught me and moulded me to be the artist I am today.”
Dance Singapore Dance provided an excellent platform for dancers in Singapore to build their repertoires and showcase their talent.
Lauren Smith, 16, Dance Singapore Dance finalist and student at Singapore American School, said, “Through this competition, I had the opportunity to interact with contestants from diverse backgrounds and also try out new dance styles like Bollywood for the first time. Being exposed to different cultures and dance expressions in the competition was a positive learning experience for me.”
Logan s/o Narayansamy, 27, a former fitness instructor, decided to make a career switch after the competition. He has since joined fellow contestant Derek Seong‘s dance school, Rhythm ‘N’ Moves Studio as an associate choreographer.
For the latest news on Dance Singapore Dance, please visit https://www.facebook.com/dancesingaporedance.