Diversity are an
EnglishEngland 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 danceStreet 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
LondonLondon 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 seriesThe 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 TalentBritain'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 BoyleSusan 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 (
DagenhamDagenham 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
LeytonstoneLeytonstone 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...
BasildonBasildon 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
EssexEssex 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
schoolA 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
universityA 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
choreographerChoreography 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 BanjoAshley 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
scienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s (
biologyBiology 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
physicsPhysics 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
TwitterTwitter 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 ShowToday 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 LiveLarry 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 FestivalThe 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 ParkHyde 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 BeachT4 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-MareWeston-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 JacksonMichael 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 SampsonGeorge 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 DavisAidan 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
LondonLondon 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 GardenCovent 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 XDDisney 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 Street10 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 ministerA 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 BrownJames 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
FlawlessFlawless 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 DanceGot 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 GarciaAdam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
and
Kimberly WyattKimberly 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
autographAn 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
photographA 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, HertfordshireHatfield 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 JacksonMichael 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
MOBOMobo 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 PerformanceThe 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
ITVITV 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 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 DavisAidan 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 3DStreetDance 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
FlawlessFlawless 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 SampsonGeorge 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
External links