KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaican reggae dancers will match skills with dance groups from Finland, Guadeloupe and Japan, for over $2 million in cash and prizes, at this year’s World Reggae Dance Championship.

The grand finals of the competition, organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), will be held on Monday, August 5, at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, St Andrew, starting at 8:00 pm.

 

Eliminations are already underway and continue on June 21 at the Chinese Benevolent Association on Old Hope Road; and at the Santa Plaza, Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth on June 28, at 4:00 pm on both days. The semi finals will be held on July 5, at the Ranny Williams centre.

At the finals, dancers will compete in full costume and perform a choreographed set before a panel of judges drawn from the Jamaican dance fraternity.

In addition to the $2 million in prizes, the winner will receive a trip to Japan.

Acting executive director of the JCDC, Delroy Gordon, said Japan has become a strong contender in the competition. Teams from the country have entered over the past three years, copping the top prize last year.

The JCDC, in association with the One Love Jamaica Festival, recently held eliminations in Tokyo to facilitate the 12 dance groups from Japan that registered for the competition.

“A member of staff from the Commission attended and the reports that came back are tremendous,” Gordon said.

After two elimination rounds, the group called: ‘Yallow Yellow,’ was chosen to travel to Jamaica to participate in the finals.

“It is our intention that, as we grow, we are going to be expanding to more countries and so we have started with Japan in terms of eliminations. It is our hope that next year we will have eliminations in a couple of countries,” Gordon said, adding that the competition is intended to be international.

Gordon stated that JCDC is still receiving entries for the competition. Entry forms are available online at www.jcdc.gov.jm , at the JCDC’s head office at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston; as well as JCDC parish offices island-wide.

The competition is open to dance groups of three to six persons, 16 years of age and older, residing in and outside of Jamaica. Entries are welcome in the categories of Roots Reggae, Dancehall, Reggae Contemporary/Classic, Reggae Dancehall and Dance Narrative.