Glitz, Glamour as Curtain Falls On Maltina Dance All 8 'Rhythm of Happiness'

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.”