Orissa to send winning dance group to London, New York

Bhubaneswar, Aug 27 (IANS) Orissa will soon send the state's Prince Dance Group, the winner of the TV reality show 'India's Got Talent', to perform in London and New York, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Thursday.

'The state government will bear the entire expenses of the troupe's journey. This will help them to gain new ideas about the dance art of England and America. In this way, they can improve their skills,' Patnaik told reporters after felicitating the group members at the state secretariat.

'You have won the hearts of millions of people in our state and the entire nation,' Patnaik told them.

Patnaik also said that he would write a letter to the union sports minister for the group's participation in the cultural programmes of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The Prince Dance Group from Berhampur town, some 180 km from here, comprising 26 artistes, all below 22 years of age, received Rs.50 lakh (Rs.5 million) in cash and a Maruti Suzuki Ritz car for winning the hotly-contested TV show.

The group had held the audience and the judges spellbound with their performance, which was based on episodes from the Mahabharata.

The group is led by 26-year-old dance teacher Krishna Mohan Reddy. The majority of the group's members are daily wage earners and none have received professional dance training.