A participant stages a dance at the Boogie Woogie auditions at a hotel in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, March 20: The attraction towards talent shows is such that despite the MCC bandh as many as 150-odd participants headed towards Hotel Yuvraj Palace to participate in the Boogie Woogie auditions.

And it was not only the state talent that wanted to display their dance skills but parents and children from Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and even Nagpur.

Prashant Mohapatra from Kendrapada in Orissa had come to the capital with his daughter Sneha, a classical dancer. Amid the pop and bhangra, Sneha performed an Alarippu sequence that won her praise from the crowd. While Sneha had taken an official leave from school, State Bank of India employee Subir Modak took a casual leave to take his son Ranajay for the auditions.

Age being no bar for the talented, some married ladies put on their dancing shoes to compete in the mother’s special category. Thus, from middle-aged mommies to four-year-old kids, the audition was full of life and excitement. If some parents looked nervous seeing their kids on stage, some rocked with enthusiasm and performed with grace.

Sushma Priya of Jamshedpur, mother of a four-year-old, set the stage on fire with her version of the popular hit Kajra re. “I was coaxed by my husband to participate in the show. Though he could not make it, I have given my best shot and leave the rest on my stars,” said Sushma.

The participants gave five-minute performances on their choice of songs. The film would be judged in Mumbai and the best dancers will be called for a final audition. Event manager Gurpreet Sethi said some of the performances were absolutely breathtaking. “I had never expected to come across such talented dancers in this city. The talent is unlimited and needs to be unleashed,” he added. Another round of audition is scheduled for tomorrow.

The auditions continued till late tonight and the stage was lit with the future Aishwarya Rais and Priyanka Chopras. Snigdha Roy, a teenager perfectly synchronised her steps to the fast beats of Rai’s Nimbooda. While Prachi Dutta, a Class V student of Kairali School, who had come with her sister, mesmerised the audience with the popular Ek do teen stint. Her sister designed Prachi’s costume, a replica of the one worn by Madhuri Dixit in the original video.

Vipul Nayak, a proclaimed city-based dancer present at the auditions, gave a full score to the performances. Nayak, who has performed once on the show, said: “The contestants should try to cover the stage and make an eye contact with the audience. Facial expression is also an important.”