Glitz, Glamour as The Utere’s went home with the star prize N10 million(Photos)

 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.”