Signature (dance group)
Encyclopedia
Signature are an English
dance
group which consists of British Pakistani Suleman Mirza and British Indian
Madhu Singh. Their notable style of dance is British
Bhangra and they frequently base their performances around Michael Jackson
songs, such as "Billie Jean
" and "Thriller
". They gained wide recognition during their performances in the second series
of Britain's Got Talent
, in which they were runners-up to the winner street dance
r George Sampson
.
/lawyer and the main contributor of the act. His involvement concerns the Michael Jackson
tribute
moves of the dance. Madhu Singh works at PC World
in terminal 5
at London Heathrow Airport
. Singh's main involvement is entering part-way through the act and performing Bhangra dance. Mirza, a British Muslim
of Pakistani descent, and Singh, a British Sikh
of India
n descent, met when they were both auditioning separately for a student talent contest in 2000 at the University of Westminster
. Being from the same part of South Asia, Punjab
, which is well known for its dance and music, they were both interested in performing together. At the time, Mirza was a full-time economics and business student at the University of Westminster
. This led to the formation of their dance group, Signature, in 2001. Since then, they performed their acts in various British Asian
and Bollywood
-themed shows, sometimes alongside several Bollywood movie stars.
In addition, Mirza has worked with Chris Brown, Leona Lewis
, McFly
, Danni Minogue, Jay Sean, Alexandra Burke
, Sugababes
, and choreographer Lavelle Smith Junior (who has choreographed for Michael Jackson
, Janet Jackson
, and Beyonce Knowles
). In 2006, Mirza performed for Michael Jackson at the televised World Music Awards 2006
held in Earls Court
, London
, where he had met Jackson in person. Singh, meanwhile, has hosted television shows on the Zee Music channel, and had also appeared on the music video for Jay Sean's "Eyes on You
" in 2004.
, which aired on 24 April 2008, Signature performed to "Nachna Onda Nei" by Tigerstyle
featuring Kaka Bhaniawala—a bhangra tune mixed to the beat of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean
". They combined the Michael Jackson lyrics and style of dancing with traditional bhangra style music and dancing in a comedy dance act.
Before the audition, Mirza said: "I don't think the judges will have ever seen an act like mine before...in this act there will be a lot of moon walking, but there is a twist, and if they weren't Michael Jackson fans before they may even turn into one."
Mirza is then shown moonwalking
around the stage, and performing Michael Jackson style dance moves. As he dances, Madhu Singh, dressed in a white coat, walks past the show presenters Ant & Dec
at the side of the stage and makes his way onto the stage with a broom
. The two then start a Bhangra/Michael Jackson "dance off", bringing with it a standing ovation
from the audience and one of the judges, Amanda Holden
.
After their audition, Signature became one of the favourites to win, due to their popular crossover-style of dancing and mixing Bhangra with Michael Jackson and their ever growing "element of surprise".
", winning the public vote and so went through to the final.
said that he believed that Signature were one of five acts who could win the show. In the final they again performed to "Nachna Onda Nei" and were announced as finishing in the top three alongside street dance
r, George Sampson
and boy soprano
, Andrew Johnston
. Sampson won the show with Signature finishing as runners-up.
In June 2008, Signature were "offered a six-figure deal to be the face of Virgin Media
" for its forthcoming "Bollywood on Demand" TV service. The managing director of marketing at Virgin Media, James Kydd, has commented, "Getting Signature on-board could be the perfect way for new audiences to find out more about Bollywood
."
In December 2008, it was announced that Signature would appear on the live tour for the fifth series
of The X Factor
.
On 29 January 2009, they appeared as contestants on Ready Steady Cook
, where they announced that they are currently working on a sitcom
and movie script
.
In May of 2009 they appeared in series 2, episode 5 of The Omid Djalili Show
where they danced and Djalili himself joined in with their dance act. Signature also appeared at the Spice Times Awards 2010 as the main act.
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...
dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
group which consists of British Pakistani Suleman Mirza and British Indian
British Indian
The term British Indian refers to citizens of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in India. This includes people born in the UK who are of Indian descent, and Indian-born people who have migrated to the UK...
Madhu Singh. Their notable style of dance is British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Bhangra and they frequently base their performances around 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...
songs, such as "Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
" and "Thriller
Thriller (song)
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
". They gained wide recognition during their performances in the second series
Britain's Got Talent (Series 2)
The 2008 series of Britain's Got Talent was the second series of the show. Notable differences from the 2007 series the included the fact that the auditions visited Scotland and that there were 40 in the live semi-finals...
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...
, in which they were runners-up to the winner 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...
r 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:...
.
Early years
Suleman Mirza is a trainee solicitorSolicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
/lawyer and the main contributor of the act. His involvement concerns the 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
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
moves of the dance. Madhu Singh works at PC World
PC World (retailer)
PC World is OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT one of the WHER MA MEMORY STICK ?!?!??! United Kingdom's largest chains of mass-market computer superstores. It is part of Dixons Retail plc. PC World operates under the brand name PC City in Spain, Italy and Sweden....
in terminal 5
Heathrow Terminal 5 building
London Heathrow Terminal 5 is an airport terminal at London Heathrow Airport, serving the English capital city of London. Opened in 2008, the main building in the complex is the largest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom. Terminal 5 is currently used exclusively as the global hub of...
at London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. Singh's main involvement is entering part-way through the act and performing Bhangra dance. Mirza, a British Muslim
Islam in the United Kingdom
Islam has been present in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707, though it was not legally recognised until the Trinitarian Act in 1812. Today it is the second largest religion in the country with estimates suggesting that by 2010 the total Muslim population had reached 2.869 million.The...
of Pakistani descent, and Singh, a British Sikh
Sikhism in the United Kingdom
Sikhism was recorded as the religion of 336,179 people in the United Kingdom at the 2001 Census. While England is home to the majority of Sikhs in the UK, small communities also exist in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent, met when they were both auditioning separately for a student talent contest in 2000 at the University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
. Being from the same part of South Asia, Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, which is well known for its dance and music, they were both interested in performing together. At the time, Mirza was a full-time economics and business student at the University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
. This led to the formation of their dance group, Signature, in 2001. Since then, they performed their acts in various British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
and Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
-themed shows, sometimes alongside several Bollywood movie stars.
In addition, Mirza has worked with Chris Brown, Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
, Danni Minogue, Jay Sean, Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
, Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, and choreographer Lavelle Smith Junior (who has choreographed for 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...
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, and Beyonce Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
). In 2006, Mirza performed for Michael Jackson at the televised World Music Awards 2006
World Music Awards 2006
The 2006 World Music Awards were held in London, England and hosted by actress and vocalist Lindsay Lohan on 15 November 2006. Performances included a Thriller recreation by Chris Brown and a children's chorus rendition of "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson. This was Jackson's final live...
held in Earls Court
Earls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
, 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...
, where he had met Jackson in person. Singh, meanwhile, has hosted television shows on the Zee Music channel, and had also appeared on the music video for Jay Sean's "Eyes on You
Eyes on You (Jay Sean song)
"Eyes on You" is the second single from Jay Sean's debut album Me Against Myself. It was released on June 21, 2004. The song reached #6 on the UK Singles Chart and sold over 60,000 copies in the United Kingdom.-Formats and track listings:CD1...
" in 2004.
Audition
On Britain's Got Talent in their audition in LondonLondon
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...
, which aired on 24 April 2008, Signature performed to "Nachna Onda Nei" by Tigerstyle
Tigerstyle
Tigerstyle are a Scottish bhangra group from Glasgow from a British Punjabi background. They are made up of two brothers, Raj and Pops, trained in classical tabla, gurmat sangeet and various forms of Punjabi folk music and instrumentation...
featuring Kaka Bhaniawala—a bhangra tune mixed to the beat of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
". They combined the Michael Jackson lyrics and style of dancing with traditional bhangra style music and dancing in a comedy dance act.
Before the audition, Mirza said: "I don't think the judges will have ever seen an act like mine before...in this act there will be a lot of moon walking, but there is a twist, and if they weren't Michael Jackson fans before they may even turn into one."
Mirza is then shown moonwalking
Moonwalk (dance)
The moonwalk or backslide is a dance technique that presents the illusion of the dancer being pulled backwards while attempting to walk forward. A popping move, it became most popular around the world after Michael Jackson executed the dance move during a performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown 25:...
around the stage, and performing Michael Jackson style dance moves. As he dances, Madhu Singh, dressed in a white coat, walks past the show presenters Ant & Dec
Ant & Dec
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England...
at the side of the stage and makes his way onto the stage with a broom
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
. The two then start a Bhangra/Michael Jackson "dance off", bringing with it a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
from the audience and one of the judges, Amanda Holden
Amanda Holden
Amanda Louise Holden is an English actress and presenter. Among her roles are Mia Bevan in Cutting It, Sarah Trevanion in Wild at Heart, and the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award...
.
After their audition, Signature became one of the favourites to win, due to their popular crossover-style of dancing and mixing Bhangra with Michael Jackson and their ever growing "element of surprise".
Semi-final
In the first semi-final on 26 May they performed to "ThrillerThriller (song)
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
", winning the public vote and so went through to the final.
Final
Before the final show, Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
said that he believed that Signature were one of five acts who could win the show. In the final they again performed to "Nachna Onda Nei" and were announced as finishing in the top three alongside 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...
r, 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 boy soprano
Boy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
, Andrew Johnston
Andrew Johnston (singer)
Andrew Johnston is a British singer who rose to fame when he appeared as a boy soprano on the second series of the British television talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2008. Although he did not win the series, he received a contract to record on the SyCo Music label owned by the Britain's Got...
. Sampson won the show with Signature finishing as runners-up.
After Britain's Got Talent
Following the end of the second series of Britain's Got Talent, Signature were given the "official stamp of approval by Michael Jackson himself", while members of the Jackson family have become their fans and got in touch with Signature soon after the show ended.In June 2008, Signature were "offered a six-figure deal to be the face of Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
" for its forthcoming "Bollywood on Demand" TV service. The managing director of marketing at Virgin Media, James Kydd, has commented, "Getting Signature on-board could be the perfect way for new audiences to find out more about Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
."
In December 2008, it was announced that Signature would appear on the live tour for the fifth series
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
.
On 29 January 2009, they appeared as contestants on Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook was a BBC daytime TV cooking programme it first debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last edition was broadcast on the 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host...
, where they announced that they are currently working on a sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
and movie script
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
.
In May of 2009 they appeared in series 2, episode 5 of The Omid Djalili Show
The Omid Djalili Show
The Omid Djalili Show was a British sketch comedy/stand-up comedy television show produced by Hat Trick Productions for BBC One. Writing by Omid Djalili, Will Smith, Roger Drew, Ian Stone, Ricky Grover with script editor Steve Punt...
where they danced and Djalili himself joined in with their dance act. Signature also appeared at the Spice Times Awards 2010 as the main act.