ITANAGAR, May 24: The regional hip-hop and street dance scene reached at its peak at the highly anticipated “Best of the Best” Battle, held at the Artisan-cum-Handicraft Exhibition Centre here on Saturday.
Spearheaded by famed local dancer and event organizer Nangbia Chanda, the high-octane competitive jam transformed the arena into a battlefield of raw rhythm and elite movement. Nangbia Chanda, who famously gained national recognition after becoming a finalist in India’s Got Talent in 2015 and later appeared as a guest performer on Dance Plus Season 2, brought his extensive television and professional experience to the forefront to orchestrate this landmark community event. The championship drew massive national attention, pulling a roaring contingent of competitive dancers from across the country alongside local warriors representing Arunachal Pradesh, all locking horns to assert their dominance on the cipher floor.
The structural backbone of the entire event was fueledby a star-studded panel of judges who traveled down directly from Delhi to deliver uncompromising, elite critiques. Renowned specialist Poppin Ticko strictly governed the Popping category, while Bedroc and Jasika double-teamed the grueling Rep Your Style and Hip-Hop divisions. Meanwhile, the power-heavy Breaking bracket was kept under the laser-focused radar of Bboy Kaamil. Orchestrating the sonic landscape from the tables was DJ Puppeteer, who kept the energy at a constant peak with lethal breaks and deep grooves, while the charismatic Host Deepak Yadav, hailing all the way from Lucknow, commanded the microphone to keep the crowd and competitors highly charged throughout the intense brackets.
When the dust finally settled, the championship brackets yielded an elite class of victors. In the versatile Rep Your Style category, Aee Gee clinched the ultimate crown after an electrifying final showdown against runner-up Funky Villain. The Hip-Hop division saw Luis capture the championship title over a highly resilient Faith Son. The explosive Breaking category belonged entirely to Jin Indian, who edged out Foe Toy in a gravity-defying battle of power-moves and freezes.
The undisputed story of the night, however, belonged to the phenomenal double-podium run by Funky Villain. After falling just short in the Rep Your Style finals, the powerhouse dancer displayed incredible stamina to bounce back and seize the definitive championship title in the Popping division, out-pointing a stellar performance by runner-up Sameer. With its massive cross-state attendance and unparalleled executive execution at the Artisan-cum-Handicraft Exhibition Centre, Nangbia Chanda’s Best of the Best Battle has officially set a new gold standard for underground dance culture in Northeast India.