It was a
spectacular end to the only family dance show on television in Nigeria as the
curtains fell on Maltina Dance All (MDA) Season 8. Like bees to the nectar,
thousands of consumers were attracted by the glitz and glamour of the show
which climaxed at Expo center, Eko Hotel and Suites on
Saturday in Lagos.
The grand finale which was the
culmination of weeks of suspense, drama and excitement saw the Utere family from Port-Harcourt, Rivers State
crowned winners of the 2014 edition of the show. The Utere’s went home
with the star prize of a whopping N10 million after securing the largest number
of votes in the keenly contested competition.
The show which is reputed for promoting family values,
bonding and happiness is sponsored by Maltina; a premium malt drink from the
stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc. Apart from the grand prize of N10 million,
the Utere family also earned the title of Nigeria’s number one dance family
while the Uzodinma family who claimed second position went home with N3m. The
Odigie family who came third were rewarded with N1m.
It would be recalled that 10 families were initially
admitted into the famed Maltina dance academy after which they were
subsequently whittled down to the four families – Utere, Uzodinma, Odigie and
Unanka - that took part in the grand finale.
As anticipated, the show which was beamed live across
select TV stations was filled with excitement. The four families that made it
to the grand finale competed in two dance styles – Rhythm of Naija and Hip-hop.
The families first competed in the “Rhythm of Naija”
dance style. The Utere family, who were first on stage, set the tone for an
awesome night with a dazzling performance to Shake Bodi by Skales much
to the delight of the audience. The Unanka family who were next also impressed
with their performance to Mavin’s Dorobucci hit song. Their performance
was followed by that of the Uzodima family who danced to Lil Kesh’s Shoki
and Odigie family who performed last, danced to Ukwu by Timaya.
The next dance style performed by the families was the
hip-hop style. The order of performance saw the Uzodinma family perform first
while Utere, Unanka and Odigie followed suit respectively.
At the end of the entertaining displays showcased by
the families, tension in the hall was palpable as the final votes were awaited.
After the voting process ended and the results certified authentic, Utere
family was announced winner as voted by Nigerians while the Uzodima and Odigie
families came second and third respectively.
Speaking at the event, Senior Brand Manager, Maltina,
Mr. Adewole Adedeji, stated that the Maltina Dance All platform has been very
effective in audience engagement. He said “the MDA platform has been sustained
over the past 8 years because we are a consumer-centric organisation. We will
continue to invest in the things that create positive experiences for consumers
to connect with each other and also with our brand. The reason why we have
sustained it this far is majorly because it connects with consumers”. He also
described this year’s MDA as the best ever and revealed that next year’s
edition would be more exciting.
Wilfred Utere, the family representative of Utere
family, who was visibly filled with joy, expressed his excitement for winning
this year’s MDA competition. He said, “My family and I are short of words to
describe how we feel now. It is so overwhelming to be crowned winners tonight.
We have really worked hard to be here today. I want to thank all those who have
supported us all the way. I want to also thank Maltina for giving us a platform
to showcase our talents and to also be rewarded with this huge amount of
money.” On what the family plans to do with the N10 million, Wilfred stated
that amongst other things, he would open a dance studio as well as further his
education abroad.
As Nigerians wait for what next the brand has up its
sleeve, they will not forget in a hurry the fun and excitement that was the
hallmark of the 2014 edition of the MDA tagged “Rhythm of Happiness.”
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