(Jul 7, 2025) When Binita Chetry does a backflip, her momentum is a real stunner. So are her other intricate dance moves, which are physically demanding — but she does all of that with ease.
So, when the nine-year-old was in all her elements at the globally renowned reality show Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) recently, she was the cynosure of all eyes. What more, Binita’s backflips even won repeated standing ovations from the BGT judges and the audience alike, who were left asking for more.
Her mesmerising dance performance on the international stage got her the second runner up position in BGT. She became the first Asian contestant in the show’s history to reach the podium. “I represented India on a global platform, so this is our country’s achievement,” smiles Binita, in a chat with Global Indian.
With her stunning dance performance, the fifth grader captivated the audience across the world. In fact, BGT Judges — British-Italian television personality, choreographer and dancer Bruno Tonioli and English TV personality, entrepreneur, and record executive Simon Cowell, who is known for his blunt criticism as a judge on shows — were particularly impressed. Simon even mentioned that he had “never seen such a performance before.”
Binita’s journey to the international stage took off after one of her videos from Dance Icon season 2 went viral. “Last year, my dance video went viral after which one of the BGT team members got in touch with us,” recalls the dancer, talking about her BGT journey which started in July 2024.
What followed was several rounds of discussions. Her online audition took place in October 2024. Finally, she was selected for the offline audition following which she travelled to the UK along with her father Amar Chetry and dance teacher Hardik Rawat in January this year.
“We went to Blackpool where the audition was held for one day. Since it was only a three day trip, I could not visit many places there,” says Binita.
Prepping up
For the next few months, all that Binita did was practice, and more practice. That was until the month of May, when she was back in UK for the show.
The confident girl qualified for the semi-finals, and the finals were a week away. “For one week, I did several stage rehearsals with the costume and choreographer,” says Binita, who remained completely focussed, reminding herself that she was representing India on the international platform.
Her determination and hard work earned her the second runner up position in BGT.
No sooner did she secure the position, Binita was on cloud nine. Congratulatory messages began pouring in as she became a star worldwide. “It felt great,” says the dancing sensation, who will forever cherish her first international performance.
While Binita secured the second runner up position, British magician Harry Moulding took the top prize and LED dance group ‘The Blackouts’ finished second in BGT, the format which was devised by Simon Cowell, who is also the X Factor creator. On an average, BGT draws viewing figures of six to 10 million.
London Bridge
In between her hectic schedule in the UK, which mostly revolved around practice and rehearsals, Binita squeezed out sometime to go around London. “I saw the London bridge and it was amazing. I went to a few other places including the British cultural icon, Big Ben,” smiles the super talented kid, whose dream is to buy a “pink princess house.”
A grand welcome
Upon her return to Assam, Binita was accorded a grand welcome, with locals cheering her, well-wishers admiring her as the state government and various cultural groups wished her all the success. They were happy that the nine year old made Assam and India proud.
But the icing on the cake was meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “I never expected that the Chief Minister would meet me. It was a wonderful experience,” she says.
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The Chief Minister congratulated her and said her performances have mesmerized audiences from the Brahmaputra to the Thames and made everyone proud. “I wish her all the best for her future endeavours.” The Chetry family also acknowledged the crucial support from Tuliram Ronghang, the Chief Executive Member of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), who provided ₹5 lakh in financial aid, and local MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Numal Momin.
Assam girl
Hailing from the small village of Tal Balijan near Bokajan in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, Binita studies in My Own school in Shyam Nagar, Jaipur, where she moved three years ago to study and fine tune her dancing skills with dance teacher Hardik Rawat. “My school has been very supportive of my dancing,” says Binita, whose father Amar Chetry is a driver and mother a housewife.
She was barely three when she started dancing after seeing her aunt Amrita Devi dance. “Then I started dancing regularly with my aunt,” she informs. A couple of years ago, she visited Jaipur to participate in a local dance competition during which she was introduced to Hardik Rawat, a private dance tutor. “Hardik sir was the judge in that competition. Since we cannot get good training in Assam, I continued to train with Hardik sir and study in Jaipur.”
Dance Icon
Before stepping onto the BGT stage, Binita had already made her mark in Indian dance circuits, appearing in shows like Super Dancer 4 and Dance Deewane Junior. Later, she went on to win the Dance Icon Season 2, a victory that paved the way for her entry into the international arena.
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“I performed my best in Dance Icon. People encouraged me and voted for me due to which I emerged winner,” smiles Binita, who currently has two to three practice sessions everyday.
Juggling dance and academics
With her dancing career taking her places, Binita finds it difficult to juggle her academics with dance. “I go to dance classes in the morning and evening, which sometimes extends into the night. I come back home, eat and complete my homework. Most times, it is 1.30 am by the time I go to bed,” says the dancer, whose day starts at 5 am sharp.
Future plans?
“I haven’t made any specific plans for the future. I just want to improve my dancing and become better. But I want to keep representing India on every platform,” says the determined girl.
Modelling
“Besides dancing, I like to do modelling,” says Binita, whose favourite TV show is Masha and the Bear. She likes to watch fun-filled movies. “I like movies like the Three Idiots which is very entertaining and has loads of comedy,” smiles Binita.
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