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Battersea’s got talent - London impresario set talent show dancers on the road to TV fame
Rashid Razaq28.05.09
The brains behind two of the finalists in Britain's Got Talent can be revealed today as a former government research scientist turned street dance impresario from London.
Flawless and Diversity, the dance troupes in Saturday's finale of the ITV show, first found fame after winning the Street Dance UK Championships set up by James Narh in a Battersea school hall 14 years ago.
“As Diversity and Flawless demonstrate, we have the best street dance groups in the world,” said the 38-year-old from Chiswick.
He revealed how the members of Diversity formed their group after they saw Flawless deliver a show-winning performance in the 2005 championships. Diversity went on to win the competition in 2007.
Flawless, 10 dancers aged between 20 and 32 from north London, have gone on to appear in music videos with artists including Madonna and Beyoncé. Diversity, whose 10 members are aged between 12 and 25 and include three sets of brothers, come from east London and Essex.
Mr Narh, whose company G Force Productions runs the dance competition, said: “They are arguably two of the best groups in the world. When Flawless first came through they were setting the pace. It is just a coincidence they're both in Britain's Got Talent at the same time, but it is the first time they are coming face to face.
“That's what makes it so exciting. They are rivals, but they have respect for each other and there is great sportsmanship.”
He added: “Breakdancing originated in New York, but it was all about individual performance. We've made it our own with choreographed routines, musical medleys, special effects and a lot of creativity.” Both groups not only have the chance to win Britain's Got Talent but have also secured a feature film deal with Vertigo Films. They will star in a movie about a street dance crew that join forces with a group of ballet dancers to win a competition.
Mr Narh's competition has grown each year, attracting thousands of people to venues such as the Hammersmith Apollo and the Apollo Victoria Theatre. More than 1,000 dancers are expected to audition this year with around 20 groups making it to the final.
This year's championships are held on 30 August at the O2 with Diversity due to make a guest appearance. The contest will be filmed and has been backed by Hollywood studios Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures. Open auditions will be held next month.
Mr Narh abandoned a career as a government research scientist to manage street dance outfits GWI (Get With It) in the Nineties.
He has run classes for children and used his annual contest to provide a springboard for dancers and choreographers who have gone on to mainstream success.
Mr Narh lists Kenrick Sandy, who won an Olivier Award in 2006 for hip hop dance piece Pied Piper, as one of his discoveries. He said: “The beauty of street dance is that it is so accessible. You can start off with just three or four friends practising in a bedroom.
“We've been growing in popularity all along, but this year there has been a real mainstream crossover. It's become cool again for boys to dance.
“You also find a number of kids doing street dance have tough backgrounds. They learn that to succeed they have to work hard, be focused, committed and determined.”
