Diversity (dance troupe)
Encyclopedia
Diversity are an English
street dance
troupe based in London
. They are best known for winning the third series
of Britain's Got Talent
, famously beating Susan Boyle
in the live final. They also won the Families United Positive Role Models at the Spirit of London Awards. The group, initially known as Swift Moves, formed in 2004. In their first year together, they beat KI (the crew Marlon from Flawless was with) during KI's 2nd run to 7 wins at The Jump Off where Swift Moves battled a total of 4 times. They also won the Street Dance Weekend 2007 competition before deciding to enter Britain's Got Talent.
Formed in 2006, the group consists of friends from east London (Dagenham
and Leytonstone
Basildon
) and Essex
, including three sets of brothers and four other members. Some are still at school
or university
, but also have jobs of their own.
The group, ranging in age from 15 to 27, consists of leader and choreographer
Ashley Banjo
and the following other members: Jordan Banjo (Ashley's younger brother), Sam Craske, Mitchell Craske, Ian McNaughton, Jamie McNaughton, Matthew McNaughton, Perri Kiely, Warren Russell, Ike Ezekwugo and Terry Smith. Ashley is currently studying natural science
s (biology
and physics
) at university. He said that "from the age of 14 I started to teach myself routines". They also have a Twitter
account which was originally named "DiversityBGT", but was then changed to "Diversity_Tweet". They are managed by Ashley's mother, and have only ever done dancing.
" and Larry King Live
to talk about their future plans. Diversity also became Patrons of Dance Aid organised by the UK Registered Charity, Hope for Children They performed at the Wireless Festival
in Hyde Park
, London on 5 July, and appeared at T4 on the Beach
on 19 July at Weston-super-Mare
.
On 31 August, they performed at Blackpool's Winter Gardens in a Michael Jackson
tribute alongside George Sampson
and Aidan Davis
. This performance was on the same weekend as the World Street Dancing championships.
Diversity have also performed in London
's Covent Garden
to launch the new Disney Channel Disney XD
. They also performed outside 10 Downing Street
in front of prime minister
Gordon Brown
, during which Perri slipped and fell on his head after attempting a back-flip. He did not sustain any serious injury.
Diversity also appeared in the Gracious K music video "Migraine Skank" along with dance group Flawless
. In January 2010, Ashley Banjo appeared as a judge on the Sky1 reality show Got to Dance
, alongside Adam Garcia
and Kimberly Wyatt
. Diversity switched on Christmas lights at Chapelfield shopping centre in Norwich on 5 November, then in Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield on 6 November then in Watford on 12 November.
On 11 November, Diversity conducted several hours of signing autograph
s and posing for photograph
s with thousands of fans at The Galleria Shopping Centre in Hatfield, Hertfordshire
. Afterwards, they hosted a prize- giving ceremony on stage and performed their "Michael Jackson" dance routine. They performed another Michael Jackson
tribute at the MOBO
award ceremony. Diversity "launched" Christmas at Lakeside on 1 November, where they took two members of the audience on-stage for a dance-off. There was a competition held in November, and a hundred people won a meet and greet with Diversity on 19 November at The Glades in Bromley. On 7 December, Diversity performed on the Royal Variety Performance
, hosted in Blackpool and shown on TV station ITV
across the UK on 16 December. On the show Got to Dance Warm Up, they presented their Westfield Shopping Centre FlashMob, sponsored by T-Mobile.
in January as a means of getting kids and families more active.
The group are touring in spring; their first dates sold out in 24 hours, which led to further dates being announced, the first being at the Manchester Apollo on 27 March. The tour centres around toys "coming to life". Diversity being the main toy as "Diversitoys", fellow Britain's Got Talent dance group Suga-Free as "the dolls", Aidan Davis
as "Bionic Boy", and others. The group have also planned a tour at Christmas time, with a "Christmas twist".
The group teamed up with national retailer The Range for a commercial to be shown in April and May, with the tagline "If you like Diversity, you'll love The Range". They also appeared in adverts for food for "great little ideas". Diversity appeared in the UK film StreetDance 3D
, released on 21 May 2010, in which they starred along side Britain's Got Talent 2009 finalists Flawless
and 2008 winner George Sampson
. They have also appeared on television and in magazines numerous times since they won the third series of Britain's Got Talent, and hope to do a lot more in the future.
They recently lent their names/act to DFS as a promotion tool, appearing in their advert. Due to phenomenal public demand, Diversity are bringing back their 'Diversitoys' tour in December with a Special christmas twist 'Diversitoys Christmas Special'. just before their tour they brought out their own fitness DVD which was bought by millions. their DVD is called Diversity Dance Fitness Fusion
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
street dance
Street dance
Street dance, more formally known as vernacular dance, is an umbrella term used to describe dance styles that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs, etc...
troupe based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They are best known for winning the third series
Britain's Got Talent (series 3)
The 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent was the third series of the programme. It began airing on ITV on 11 April. The 2009 panel of judges consisted of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan...
of Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
, famously beating Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
in the live final. They also won the Families United Positive Role Models at the Spirit of London Awards. The group, initially known as Swift Moves, formed in 2004. In their first year together, they beat KI (the crew Marlon from Flawless was with) during KI's 2nd run to 7 wins at The Jump Off where Swift Moves battled a total of 4 times. They also won the Street Dance Weekend 2007 competition before deciding to enter Britain's Got Talent.
Formed in 2006, the group consists of friends from east London (Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
and Leytonstone
Leytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
) and Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, including three sets of brothers and four other members. Some are still at school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
or university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, but also have jobs of their own.
The group, ranging in age from 15 to 27, consists of leader and choreographer
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
Ashley Banjo
Ashley Banjo
Ashley Banjo is an English street dancer and actor. He is the leader of the dance troupe Diversity, who won the third series of Britain's Got Talent...
and the following other members: Jordan Banjo (Ashley's younger brother), Sam Craske, Mitchell Craske, Ian McNaughton, Jamie McNaughton, Matthew McNaughton, Perri Kiely, Warren Russell, Ike Ezekwugo and Terry Smith. Ashley is currently studying natural science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s (biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
) at university. He said that "from the age of 14 I started to teach myself routines". They also have a Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account which was originally named "DiversityBGT", but was then changed to "Diversity_Tweet". They are managed by Ashley's mother, and have only ever done dancing.
2009
After winning the show, Diversity appeared on the US television news programmes "The Today ShowThe Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
" and Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
to talk about their future plans. Diversity also became Patrons of Dance Aid organised by the UK Registered Charity, Hope for Children They performed at the Wireless Festival
Wireless Festival
The Wireless Festival is a music festival in England that takes place every year in Hyde Park, London, and took place at Harewood House, Leeds in 2006 and 2007. It is owned and managed by Live Nation....
in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, London on 5 July, and appeared at T4 on the Beach
T4 on the Beach
T4 On The Beach is a British one day music event which is held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005....
on 19 July at Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
.
On 31 August, they performed at Blackpool's Winter Gardens in a Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
tribute alongside George Sampson
George Sampson
George Jennifer Sampson is a street dancer and actor from Warrington, England. He won the second series of Britain's Got Talent on 31 May 2008 at the age of 14.-2007 series:...
and Aidan Davis
Aidan Davis
Aidan Davis is a child street dancer from Birmingham, England who is best known for reaching the final of the third series of the ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent. He finished fifth place overall...
. This performance was on the same weekend as the World Street Dancing championships.
Diversity have also performed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
to launch the new Disney Channel Disney XD
Disney XD
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
. They also performed outside 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
in front of prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, during which Perri slipped and fell on his head after attempting a back-flip. He did not sustain any serious injury.
Diversity also appeared in the Gracious K music video "Migraine Skank" along with dance group Flawless
Flawless (dance group)
Flawless are a UK based Street dance group.They appeared on the 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent and got to the final of the competition, they appeared alongside fellow Street Dance team Diversity who went on to win the competition. They later appeared in the 2010 film StreetDance 3D. They...
. In January 2010, Ashley Banjo appeared as a judge on the Sky1 reality show Got to Dance
Just Dance (TV series)
Got to Dance is a dance competition and reality show broadcast in the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States and India. Auditons for the show take place in specially built Dance Domes and are open to all dance acts of any age, style or size. Auditions for the first series were held in October 2009...
, alongside Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia
Adam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
and Kimberly Wyatt
Kimberly Wyatt
Kimberly Kaye Wyatt is an American showgirl, singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer. She is best known as a former member of the American pop/R&B girl group and dance ensemble, the Pussycat Dolls. She joined the Pussycat Dolls in 2003...
. Diversity switched on Christmas lights at Chapelfield shopping centre in Norwich on 5 November, then in Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield on 6 November then in Watford on 12 November.
On 11 November, Diversity conducted several hours of signing autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
s and posing for photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s with thousands of fans at The Galleria Shopping Centre in Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
. Afterwards, they hosted a prize- giving ceremony on stage and performed their "Michael Jackson" dance routine. They performed another Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
tribute at the MOBO
Mobo
Mobo can refer to:*Shorthand for the motherboard in computers and other electronic equipment*Shorthand for a mobile [network] operator or MNO *Shorthand for a mobile bohemian, a person who embraces mobile technology...
award ceremony. Diversity "launched" Christmas at Lakeside on 1 November, where they took two members of the audience on-stage for a dance-off. There was a competition held in November, and a hundred people won a meet and greet with Diversity on 19 November at The Glades in Bromley. On 7 December, Diversity performed on the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
, hosted in Blackpool and shown on TV station ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
across the UK on 16 December. On the show Got to Dance Warm Up, they presented their Westfield Shopping Centre FlashMob, sponsored by T-Mobile.
2010
Diversity promoted street dancing with Change4LifeChange4Life
Change4Life is a public health programme in the United Kingdom which began in January 2009, organised by the Department of Health. The campaign aims to encourage people in Britain to lead healthier lives, using the slogan "eat well, move more, live longer"...
in January as a means of getting kids and families more active.
The group are touring in spring; their first dates sold out in 24 hours, which led to further dates being announced, the first being at the Manchester Apollo on 27 March. The tour centres around toys "coming to life". Diversity being the main toy as "Diversitoys", fellow Britain's Got Talent dance group Suga-Free as "the dolls", Aidan Davis
Aidan Davis
Aidan Davis is a child street dancer from Birmingham, England who is best known for reaching the final of the third series of the ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent. He finished fifth place overall...
as "Bionic Boy", and others. The group have also planned a tour at Christmas time, with a "Christmas twist".
The group teamed up with national retailer The Range for a commercial to be shown in April and May, with the tagline "If you like Diversity, you'll love The Range". They also appeared in adverts for food for "great little ideas". Diversity appeared in the UK film StreetDance 3D
StreetDance 3D
StreetDance 3D is a British dance film which was released on 21 May 2010. The film was released in RealD 3D, XpanD 3D, and Dolby 3D with Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini directing it. Britain's Got Talent stars George Sampson, Diversity and Flawless made their debut appearances to the big screen...
, released on 21 May 2010, in which they starred along side Britain's Got Talent 2009 finalists Flawless
Flawless (dance group)
Flawless are a UK based Street dance group.They appeared on the 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent and got to the final of the competition, they appeared alongside fellow Street Dance team Diversity who went on to win the competition. They later appeared in the 2010 film StreetDance 3D. They...
and 2008 winner George Sampson
George Sampson
George Jennifer Sampson is a street dancer and actor from Warrington, England. He won the second series of Britain's Got Talent on 31 May 2008 at the age of 14.-2007 series:...
. They have also appeared on television and in magazines numerous times since they won the third series of Britain's Got Talent, and hope to do a lot more in the future.
They recently lent their names/act to DFS as a promotion tool, appearing in their advert. Due to phenomenal public demand, Diversity are bringing back their 'Diversitoys' tour in December with a Special christmas twist 'Diversitoys Christmas Special'. just before their tour they brought out their own fitness DVD which was bought by millions. their DVD is called Diversity Dance Fitness Fusion