MDA: Utere family to build a studio

The host, Osas Ighodalo, Nigerian Breweries Marketing Manager, Walter Drenth, with the Utere family

Lagos stood still for the Utere family on Saturday when they danced their way to fame and wealth.

The ‘dance troupe’ comprising the father, mother and their children shook the Eko Hotel and Suites with electrifying dance steps to defeat three other equally sets of family dancers, thus emerging the winner of the Eighth Maltina Dance All.

With the victory, the Utere family earned N10m, alongside other prizes.

The victory, which was decided via voting, did not disappoint the crowd that witnessed the finale as many believed that the Uteres really proved their mettle.

But like the proverbial masquerader that dances excellently in the market place, who had, however, had sustained rehearsals in the grove, the representative of the family, Wilfred Utere, noted that they really worked hard to achieve the feat.

The excited Wilfred 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, he said that among other things, they would open a dance studio while he would further his education abroad.

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.

The Maltina Dance All 2014 again lived up to the expectation of many fun lovers. The family-oriented nature made it unique, as it created sentiments that transcended personalities, ethnicities and nationalities.

As the 10 families that made it to the academy slugged it out with captivating choreography and dances, many could not help wondering how each of the groups was able to form what looked like a professional troupe.

The grand finale was thus the culmination of weeks of suspense, drama and excitement.

Ten families were initially admitted into the 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.

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. The Unanka family performed Mavin’s Dorobucci hit song; Uzodima family performed Lil Kesh’s Shoki while Odigie family staged Ukwu by Timaya.

On the essence of the competition, Senior Brand Manager, Maltina, Mr. Adewole Adedeji, said the Maltina Dance All platform had been very effective in audience engagement.

He said, “The MDA platform has been sustained over the past eight 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.”