Jennifer 'Jenny Jenny' Small

The eighth staging of the Dancin' Dynamites Competition was launched in Linstead, St Catherine on Saturday night to much fanfare.

The occasion saw a massive gathering at the Sinclair's Bargain Centre to enjoy themselves.

This year, the competition returns to TVJ, starting on February 17, and will see the winner walking away with a cash prize of $600,000 plus a scholarship to the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMC).

The second place will pocket $400,000 with scholarship tenable to the Excelsior Community College.

It was revealed that prizes total over $3,000,000 would be on offer.

During the competition dancers with a perfect score will get $15,000 up from $10,000 last year.

sponsors

All the sponsors including title sponsor Charles Chocolates, were on hand and vouched to support the talent competition to its fullest.

Jennifer 'Jenny Jenny' Small, while thanking the sponsors said that it would be service well rewarded.

"In addition to us being televised in 21 Caribbean Islands and the US, we have now got requests from Zimbabwe and Zambia, so we are now global and it is great for the competition," Small told those in attendance.

Small also told THE STAR, that the decision to give Linstead its inaugural launch was very easy.

"With Linstead so packed with talent, it's only right for the launch to be here, and we are very proud of the turnout, " she said.

She echoed the views of minister of Sports Natalie Neita-Headley who said she was very pleased that prominent groups in the competition are from her constituency.

Overdrive dancers, Black Eagle and last year's second-placed team Ed Hardy gave deft dance moves to show what was to come.

However, some international flavour was on show with the Blackout dance crew from Sweden dancing up a storm.

Former Rising Stars winners, One Third and rising reggae artiste Ibo Mhar entertained through song.

There were also give-aways to a number of persons in attendance.

The auditions is set to begin on January 12 at Bargain Village in May Pen, Clarendon, with schools and other groups being encouraged to compete.

Sponsors are Charles Chocolate, TJV, Bigga, LIME, EMC, Singer, Wyndham Kingston hotel, Devon Biscuit, Burger King and Origins, and Soft Touch.

Scenes from Dancin' Dynamites 2013 Competition Launch, held at Sinclair's Bargain Centre, Linstead last Saturday night, January 5. - Winston Sill photos