One M Crew Takes Off From Bhubaneswar Slums To World Stage

One M Crew Takes Off From Bhubaneswar Slums To World Stage

India has been known to produce stalwarts in almost all fields ranging from maths, medicine, and space studies, to different art forms like singing, dancing, etc. And more often than not, the achievers aren’t just credited for acing their respective fields, but for doing so despite difficult circumstances such as lack of high-end equipment, training, or money. Adding themselves to the list of talents who have taken the country’s name to a world stage, Bhubaneswar-based acrobatic dance group, One M Crew, emerged victorious in the eleventh season of the Indian Hip Hop Championship 2023 held in Mumbai and have been further selected to represent India on an International stage. This dance group has a story synonymous with hundreds of slumdog millionaires. The One M Crew from the slums of Bhubaneswar is beaming with pride and enthusiasm after winning the title. They are the real-life embodiment from Odisha of the reel movie ABCD: Anybody Can Dance. When team My City Links came to know of their success and approached Amir Behera, the mind behind the crew, and the troupe for an interview, they were zealous to share their journey and also humble enough to be grounded for future endeavours.

This team of 10 dancers from the slums of Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar, have faced financial crises more than often and have journeyed their way to reach the ladder of success. From auditioning on multiple platforms to being rejected and pulled down, they have accepted each hurdle with a smile on their faces and determination in their hearts. Climbing a few steps up the ladder of success, they emerged as the winner of the Indian Hip Hop Championship 2023, Season 11.

Gully Dreams

Crunched up in the dingy houses of the vast slum in Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar, the performers just have one worry on their minds and that is to prove their art and achieve success. They know that the way of the cramped quarters along narrow alleys of the slum is through proving themselves to the world.

Amir Behera who started his dance group One M Crew shared his insight, “Dance is an art for me; a medium to express myself. I feel alive and happy when I am performing. I know how our society is. Dance is considered a pastime and not a career choice and true enough, for slum people like me, it is a waste of time. But I strongly believe that with hard work and strong determination, we can reach heights.  Reaching Mumbai after 5 years was a dream for us. Now, not only is that dream fulfilled but we have also won the title we dreamt of. This is a huge victory for us and we are just training for better and more challenging opportunities ahead. I strongly believe that I can change mine as well as my parents’ destiny through dance.”

On the other hand, parents have a different narrative. A mother of one of the participants shared, “We are poor people and this dancing and singing are hobbies of the rich. We need our children to study, get a job and settle down. I have made a pact with my son that he can dance as long as he continues his studies as well.”

But after this win, parents are starting to trust their children’s interest in dance. “Before I was very sceptical of these children dancing all day but now since they have won a title and returned with gold medals, my trust in them has increased. I know these children are really working hard. And reaching Mumbai and being victorious among so many groups is really incredible. I wish them success and triumph always,” shared another parent.

Humble Beginnings

Back in 2018, when Amir realised this dream and decided to commence it with the local children of his slum, he was aware of all the hurdles that were sure to come his way. From the parents being completely unsupporting to having no financial assistance, he understood and faced it all. The group’s journey is tinged with struggle and tragedy

“I was enthusiastic about dancing. I started this small group where children started joining and we used to just freestyle in the local abandoned field nearby. We would typically often gather there in the evenings to dance,” said Amir.

Growing insights on his journey, one of the members shared, “I loved dancing, so I started rehearsing with Amir Sir and the group and learnt their moves. I didn’t have the money to join a dance school. So I would learn from whatever I saw, and from whoever was willing to teach me,” shared a member.

“We used to watch videos of different popular dance groups and try to emulate the moves. When we first got the email from the show, we thought it was a scam. We couldn’t believe it,” said Amir. 

The breathtaking performance of the troupe propelled them directly to the finals. When they were declared winners, the dancers jumped up with joy, crying and hugging each other. Some sit down on the stage, weak-kneed with disbelief. Known for their energetic moves and gravity-defying flips, the group was able to win the hearts of judges and received a standing ovation.

Just like a stereotypical, hip-hop dancer, all the performers are usually dressed in colourful sneakers and hoodies. From doing backflips and somersaults, twisting mid-air, to propelling themselves across the dance floor, their stunts are a treat to watch but with bated breath.

“I couldn’t believe it when my son called from Mumbai to tell me that they had won,” shared a mother, whose teenage son is part of the group. Her family of five lives in a small windowless, one-room home with a tin roof.

The dance group consists of more than 10 members ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old- 5 boys and 5 girls. All of them come from the slums. Most of their parents work minimum wage jobs in factories, or as housemaids, and they live in crowded shanties where water and sanitation are scarce.

“My father threatened to throw me out of the house if I continued dancing. But I didn’t stop. I used to sneak out to go to rehearsals. After the win, my father is the most elated and this brings me so much joy,” one of the members shared.

Of Spins and Somersaults

It’s hard for one to watch them perform without bated breath. Everything from their spins and somersaults to multiple backflips, perfect landings, and their synchronised freestyle moves are unmatchable, to say the least. “All of us are full-time professional dancers. We do about 10 to 12 hours of rehearsals every day. Our team can do all styles of dance. There are some who are good with popping, some like urban hip-hop, locking crump and many other styles. But mostly, the group sticks to hip-hop,” shared Amir.

Speaking about their thrilling stunts, Amir explained, it comes out perfectly as a result of their commitment. “We always make it a point to give our best on stage. Our complicated moves come out clean and successful only because of the long hours that we put in every day for rehearsals,” shared Amir, adding that they try to prevent injuries by using safety mats on the floor during rehearsals that can cushion a fall. 

“Dance means a lot to all of us. It was our collective dream to be something in this world, and to make our parents and the country proud,” said Amir Behera, leader of the dance group.

On the Big Stage 

“We also were finalists at Dance Odisha Dance where we got good mentorship and reached the finals,” shared Amir. “We got very good exposure there and also an apt place to practise,” shared Amir.

We had the knowledge about all hip hop championships but did not have the resources to participate. When we heard about the Indian Hip Hop Championship, we were excited to participate in it but failed in the audition itself. After a struggle of 5 years, we finally reached there and also won it. We used to follow them religiously on all social media platforms. We won gold in the Mega group and were selected to represent India at the international forefront,” he further added.

The Road Ahead

Although the troupe has been chosen to represent India in the international forefront, the deficit of funds to take the next step has put them in a fix.

“We are practising well and willing to take the next big step, but money is crucial and that is something that we lack. Till now, all of us members used to do odd jobs, participate in different performances and save a part of that income to fund our costumes and training. But the international platform is too huge for us to comprehend right now. There’s a couple of months for the final declaration to come, we have our fingers crossed. Let’s see if something works out,” shared Amir.

“Currently, we are planning to establish ourselves properly in Odisha and then India and be the best in the industry. My team is hardworking and dedicated. We just need proper financial assistance. We are all optimistically moving ahead with our dreams. The rest is in the Almighty’s hands,” he signed off.