The 2017 World of Dance Finals will be held in Pasadena on July 22, 2017, and we can’t wait. This annual event features the winners of World of Dance competitions around the world—the best of the best—facing off to win the title, plus performances by industry starts, vendors, DJs, artists, and a lot more. In anticipation of this must-see event, we’re getting to know the many competitors from around the world.
Today, we’re meeting Strangerz Crew, Upper Division Winners World of Dance Chennai 2017. We caught up with the crew to find out how they met, what it was like to compete in WOD, what they’re looking forward to, and more.
Crew name: Strangerz Crew
Title: Upper Division Winners World of Dance Chennai 2017
Hometown: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
WOD: Can you give us a little background about the crew: how long have you been together/how did you meet?
SC: The Strangerz Crew dance team was formed in the year 2009 by a bunch of enthusiastic students who had an undying passion to showcase their talents. The team is led by Mr. Mohammed Ashraf, a gifted dancer with more than 10 years of experience in professional dancing. Strangerz Crew has quickly grown in eminence to be Chennai’s top dance crew. Some notable wins:
- 1st runner up in the ‘I Feel Up’ state-level dance competition held by 7Up in 2012.
- 2nd runner up in the ‘I Feel Up ’ national-level dance competition held by 7Up in 2013.
- Silver medalist in the Indian Hip-Hop dance championship in 2013.
- Finalists in Kings Of Dance, a popular national-level dance competition reality show, telecasted on Star Vijay TV from January to Sept 2016.
- Winners of over 30+ competitions, in both the professional dance category and inter-college level combined.
- The crew also undertakes choreography for corporate companies, colleges, and schools and has been highly successful in supporting them to win competitions.
- The crew has collaborated with artists like Leon James and Hip-Hop Tamizha in their music videos.
The victory in the qualifying stages of World of Dance is the latest feather in our cap. Now we stand at the threshold of greatness as one of the few teams to represent India at the World Of Dance finals in Pasadena.
WOD: Other than winning first place, what was your favorite part of competing at the World of Dance qualifier?
SC: Every member on the team is a passionate dancer hoping to achieve their dreams of becoming the best dancer they can be and showing the world their talents. What better stage to show off this talent than the World of Dance stage? It has been a dream stage of ours, and the fact that we were even able to participate and secure a place for ourselves in the finals is a big achievement for us.
Other than competing alone, the whole journey to this level is something we will cherish for the rest of our lives. The amount of fun and bonding we had over the last two months has been magical. Through rough and tough we have stood by each other and encouraged one another. We have always believed that it isn’t the result that matters but the journey and hard work we put in. Our team, comprised of college students and working men, slaved every night for two whole months. That is what we cherished most during this journey: the hard work and support we gave each other.
WOD: What do you think made your performance stand out enough to win?
SC: We can proudly say that we have some of the best choreographers in the city on our team, each providing a unique style to our dance. A combination of their styles, unique formations, and the overall passion for dance each member in the team had is what set us apart.
The team was super psyched when they heard that World of Dance was having an audition in Chennai. For a whole two months, every member in the team slogged day and night to put their best foot forward with the hope of reaching the finals. This hope and hard work is what made us stand out and brought us where we are today.
WOD: What’s your crew’s dance philosophy?
SC: We strongly believe in the “work hard, play hard” motto. Hard work is everything, and that is something we strongly follow.
WOD: What are you most excited about for the WOD Finals in Pasadena?
SC: It has always been a dream of ours to participate in an international competition and understand where we stand among the other teams that come for this competition. There is a lot for us to learn and achieve. This is the first step we are taking, so it’s pretty big.
We are also excited to meet dancers from different parts of the world and hear their stories and see what it is they are trying to say through their dance. We are also hoping to see the Kinjaz, who are our idols, and hopefully learn something from them that we can implement in our dance. Not just that—we are pretty psyched to visit the United States. It’s the first time we are all going to be coming to the U.S., so it’s going to be a pretty adventurous trip for us.
WOD: Anything else before we go?
SC: We have plans to open up a dance studio back home in Chennai to encourage more dancers to come out and help them achieve their dance goals. We are pretty excited for this project, and hopefully it will happen much sooner than we expect.
To keep up with Strangerz Crew, follow them on their Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
Catch Strangerz Crew competing at the 2017 World of Dance Finals in Pasadena on July 22. For tickets and more event info, visit World of Dance.
Love dance as much as us? Tune into NBC’s World of Dance Tuesdays at 10/9 central to see the world’s best dancers battle it out for a whopping $1 million prize. (Here’s everything you need to know about the show, from the competitors to the rules, in case you’re out of the loop). Don’t miss exclusive interviews, performances, and more from the definitive source for all things NBC World of Dance.
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