Red Label Wine brand manager, Romaro Samuels, (right) shakes a leg with Jenny Jenny, at the launch of the 2009 Red Label Wine Dancin' Dynamites on Tuesday at Waterfalls, Liguanea. - Contributed

Producer Sutania Williams promises the fourth staging of the Red Label Wine Dancin' Dynamites competition will be a fun-filled season of non-stop entertainment. The 2009 competition was launched on Tuesday night at Waterfalls, Hope Road, St Andrew.

"Wow. Let me just say to the fans 'look out for Dancin' Dynamites this season'. We are coming out of the studio for one night this year, and there is going to be a party after each show and that is where everyone must be," said Williams.

She continued: "We have done a lot of other music, like cultural, hip-hop etc., so I want them (the fans) to look out for more dancehall music because people are asking for it a lot."

The competition, which was won last year by Hypa Active Clique, promises to be an explosive one, with the winner walking away with $500,000. Second place will take home $300,000 and third place $200,000.

Grand finale

The competition, which will last three months, will feature four islandwide auditions (beginning January 3), four elimination shows, seven road shows and eight studio shows and it will climax with the grand finale at Mas Camp on May 17.

The judges will select 45 dance pairs from the four road shows and the public and judges will choose 12 from the pack to compete in studio.

Marketing dancing

At the launch, brand manager of Red Label Wine, Romaro Samuels, said the company has always been supporting dancehall and he sees the move as a major step in marketing dancing.

"Red Label Wine has always supported dancehall, so we saw this as an opportunity to market the talent of dancing," said Samuels whose company agreed to a three-year contract as title sponsors.

Samuels added: "Sprinting and reggae is marketed across the world and so too should our dancing. People are drawn to our style of dancing and we need to market that.

"Dancing is a discipline in itself and we want to take it on a professional level. What better way than to turn your passion into a career."

The launch included performances by reigning Dancin' Dynamites champions Hypa Active Clique, John Hype, Dance Xpressions and Ice. Ice, whose real name is David Smith and is the creator of the popular Gully Creepa dance, praised the impact of Dancing Dynamites.

"This show is very important, because it gives the dancers an opportunity to showcase their style and creativity," said Ice.