Excitement and hubbub was all around. The strong scent of enthusiasm filled the air. The boom-box gave unrecognizable beats to which the contenders pumped up their energy levels. All the audience, even those participants who were not qualified for the finals had adrenaline pulsing through their veins.
And the anchor gave signals so as to start the battle. World Dance Championship, the hoarding above them, which shone as brightly as any crystal by daylight, read. The underground club was the venue. Dancers came from all over the world. It wasn’t any championship. The winning team was getting one million dollars as a winning token along with the chance to get into the Universal Beats Academy, the ultimate palace of performing arts and music. People worshipped this place.
Right now, all the participants were gathered on the stage, having their last group discussion, or whatever they called it. The two teams, The Pirates and The Samurais stood chest to chest, head held up with pride. The sudden blow of the horn indicated the start of the night. The night where one team who gets their dreams fulfilled.
The Samurais lunged forward for their act. Spins, helicopters, cartwheels and headstands were their opening moves followed by their slow dance on an upbeat trance. All of them had trained themselves to the prim of perfection and coordination. After about eight minutes, their dance came to an end. The Pirates had already started sweating. Beads of invisible perspiration were sitting on the foreheads. It was their turn next.
Just as they stepped onto their allocated platform, the air thickened. Victor, the crew captain saw and called for his best man and opener, Danny but, he couldn’t find him. One. Two. Three seconds past. They stood there like fragile alabasters in the grandsire museum. Slowly, the Samurais started chanting ‘losers, losers’ and the crowd took up the battle cry.
Hardly did the chant began when Danny rode his bike in and onto the stage. He came to a pit stop and a bolt jerked out from the stage. Everything and everyone was mute now. In a double flicker of light, water started oozing out the stage. One moment was disappointment and the other was determination. Danny looked at Victor and opened the act. Water did nothing but emphasize their moves and grooves. One after the other, the act showed different scenes as in a movie. One jump, one splash. One spin, another spray of water. Danny being Danny had found it necessary to spray water out of his mouth.
For one perfect moment, the club seemed to be alive.
The judges were fascinated. The audience were shocked, in a good way. When it came to an end after seven long minutes, there was no clap. No whistling. No cheers. A calm hushed over the club. A clap and whistle. Many. Thousands. It was a mind-blowing performance.
The anchor showed up asking, “Who do you think the winner is?” “Is it the Samurais? Or will it be the Pirates?” He teased the crowd and unknowingly tensed the nerves of the two teams.
Fear of losing and sense of anticipation seized their minds. Who was the winner was all they could think. “And the winner is – ” Long pause. It felt like an eternity when he said, “The Pirates!”
They jumped up. Hugged. Yelled. They couldn’t believe themselves.
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