After winning the Indian Hip-Hop Championship in Chennai, Suresh 'N' Vernon (SNV), the Nalasopara-based dance crew will head to Las Vegas for the World Hip-Hop Dance Championships. Choreographer Vernon Montero talks to The Guide about the steps taken to reach dance stardom
Four years ago, when Suresh Mukund and Vernon Montero, avid dancers from Nalasopara, set up their Hip-Hop crew — Fictitious Group — they never imagined they would compete on an international level. After all, there was little awareness about B-boying and for guidance, they had to rely solely on Youtube and dance movies.
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Step to success
Nevertheless, they took the plunge by attending auditions for dance and talent shows on television. After a debacle on a talent show, they realised they were in debt and needed to recover '20 lakh. That’s when they renamed themselves as Suresh ‘N’ Vernon (SNV) after their founder-duo — Suresh Mukund and Vernon Montero. They won the next season of the same show and recovered from their financial losses. The name SNV stuck, proving to be their lucky charm.
Hip-Hop troupe Suresh ‘N’ Vernon (SNV)
After winning on shows such as India’s Got Talent, they recently won the Indian Hip-Hop Championship in Chennai. They will now face-off against dance crews from across the globe at the World Hip-Hop Dance finals in Las Vegas (July 31 to August 5). They will be the first Indian B-boy crew to feature in the contest.
The long road
Commenting on their journey so far, choreographer Vernon Montero, says, “We are looking forward to the Championship. When we started off as students, we struggled. Now, it has emerged as a viable profession.”
He adds that for the upcoming championships their 11-member crew has been rehearsing non-stop. “We begin at 6 am and rehearse till 11 pm. While our original formations were devised for 30 people we have modified the moves as the team will be smaller. We hope the dance formation and the flips work in our favour,” shares Montero.
To add a desi touch, they will be dancing to Indian music — “Our play list will include AR Rahman’s Pray for me Brother and Move Your Body from Johnny Gaddar.”
Most members of SNV are aged between 18 and 24, and hail from Nalasopara and Vasai. “It’s heartening to discover that Nalasopara has emerged as a hub for Hip-Hop. It’s like a dream come true. The philosophy behind Hip-Hop is one of struggle and that’s something we can relate with,” he tell us.u00a0
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