IMD performing on the third live show of Got to Dance.

Ilford dancer says final of Sky 1’s Got To Dance went ‘perfectly’ despite missing out on top prize

Jessica Earnshaw Wednesday, March 20, 2013
10:16 AM

An Ilford member of dance crew, who has spent “every spare minute” rehearsing for the final of Sky 1’s Got To Dance competition, has described the experience as “awesome” despite narrowly missing out on the top prize.

Chris Balbastro, of IMD, was in with a chance of winning £250,000 with his fellow dancers in the live final of the show on Sunday, voted for by the public.

The 15-year-old said: “Being on Got To Dance was an awesome experience and despite the pressure on the last show, everyone was really friendly backstage.

“We had been using every spare minute we had to rehearse so before we went on stage all I was thinking was am I going to forget my routine and have we practised it enough. When in fact it was second nature to us all.”

The Rokeby School, Canning Town, pupil said one of the most daunting aspects of the final show was performing in front of 6,000-strong audience.

He said: “My family were there on the night which made it a bit easier and meant I could relax a little, but I just knew I had to do the performance of my life.”

The Year 10 student, who has been dancing for two years, after his mum encouraged him to take up an after-school club, said: “Even though we didn’t win we hope we made our mark and that people remember us and our routines. It went perfectly on the night.”

The hip-hop group, who are all aged between 11 and 16, were told early on that their talent was rare to see by judge Aston Merrygold from JLS.

As well as performing, Chris’ highlight of his involvement in the show was meeting all the other performers, and he is now considering taking up contemporary dancing.