Tension as four families battle for MDA 8 Crown

Unanka family with co host of the dance show, Laff Up

 The stage is now set for the epic dance battle that will showcase Nigeria’s best dance family as the curtains fall on the Maltina Dance All (MDA) family television show. The winning dance family will go home with N10million, while the second and third will pocket N3million and N1million respectively.

SHOWBIZPLUSng learnt that the fate of the tension-soaked families is however in the hands of Nigerians as they - and not the judges – are the ones that would eventually pick the winning family. They can do this by sending their preferred family name through their phones to 20822. The family with the highest number of votes automatically becomes the country’s number one dance family.  

The MDA,a consumer engagementplatform is sponsored by Maltina, a premium non-alcoholic malt brand from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc. After a rigorous, intensive and competitive process spanning more than two months, four families - the Utere, Unanka, Uzodinma and Odigie families - qualified for the grand finale taking place live at The Expo center, Eko Hotel and Suites on Saturday, September 27, 2014.

The race started on September 7, 2014 with ten families in the picture; Six families were unable to survive the various dance styles that were introduced in the MDA Academy: the “Wazobia” (indigenous Nigerian dances), Jive, New Age Dance, Rhythm of Naija, Pantomime and Hip-hop.

The four families that made it to this level were able to survive the six different dance styles. From the 10 families that made it to the academy, the first set to be evicted were the Leonard and Maisamari families; they failed to convince the judges after the Wazobia and Jive performances. The Jive performance had placed the Oladapo and Maisamari families for eviction while the Wazobia performance placed the Leonard and Dide families for possible eviction.

The second phase of the show was the ‘Rhythm of Naija’ and New Age dances. After the performance the Nwaeze, Oladapo, Uzodinma and Utere families were put up for possible eviction. The Nwaeze and Oladapo Families could not survive at the eviction showdown and were asked to leave the academy. The Utere and Uzodinma were certified fitto remain in the academy.

After the second eviction showdown, the families were introduced to the last two dance styles which usher them to the grand finale, the Hip-hop and Pantomime dance styles. After the hip-hop performance the Uzodinma and Williams families were put up for eviction. For the Pantomime performance, Odigie and Dide families were put up for possible eviction from the show.

The William and Dide families however failed to convince the judges and they were evicted from the academy setting the stage for the four remaining families to compete for the grand prize.

Callistus Uzodinma, the family representative of the Uzodinma family promised to give his best and said “being in the grand finale is a dream come true for my family and by the special grace of God we are going to come out with our best dance ever.”

Senior Brand Manager Maltina Mr. Adewole Adedeji said the MDA is one way among many that NB Plc is restating its brand values. “MDA is about the dancer’s creative ability, knowledge of different dance styles, stamina and fitness. The task is no doubt enormous but it is a delight to see the result it has been producing in the last 7 seasons. Some of the dancers have taken their career further than the Maltina Dance All stage; while some are dancing locally others are doing it internationally.

“We put a lot of work into it. Every year there is something bigger and better. What we are doing with the show is ‘sharing happiness and to also create more emotional connection with consumers because families and dance are two winning components in the Nigerian environment. Nigerians love to dance. Maltina is continuously nourishing millions of Nigerians. It’s still the most fortified malt drink in the market. It’s also the biggest malt brand in the market.”

It would be recalled that the 2007 edition produced the Onye family as winners; in 2008 it was the Opuwari family that carted away the star prize; in 2009 the nation’s best dance family were the Ibiams, in 2010 the Adejoh’s held sway and in 2011 the Ekubo’s showed Nigerians why they were crowned the number one dance family. In 2012 the Greens were crowned the best dance family with the unforgettable swinging moves of Opus and his sister. The Briggs family won the 2013 edition.