WORLD REGGAE DANCE FINAL TAKES PLACE TONIGHT IN KINGSTON!

 By Richard Johnson—

 Culture minister Lisa Hanna (second left) poses with St Thomas’s Endevarous Dancers, winner of last year’s competition.

ALL is set for the World Reggae Dance Championship at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Center in St Andrew, today.

The event kicks off at 7:00 pm.

Sixteen finalists 15 from Jamaica and the Ducati Ducazzz female troupe from Japan go for top honours.

“Everything is looking great. We are prepared for the event,” said Juliet Cowan-Morgan, event specialist at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and championship coordinator.

She is pleased with the quality of this year’s competition.

“The dancers are of a very high standard. The JCDC saw the need to step up the game of our local dancers. So we staged a number of workshops and training sessions to lift the level and this has paid off. We have seen a vast improvement,” she explained.

According to Cowan-Morgan, only two dance groups from overseas entered. Both from Japan, but only one made it into the finals.

The winner will receive $500,000 and a trophy. Second place will receive $200,000, while third will get $100,000. All dancers will receive a medal of participation.

There are also a number of sectional prizes.

There will be a pre-show sound clash featuring Coppershot and Chris Dymon.

Guest performers include Ancient Priest (2015 Festival Song winner), Ce’Cile, Beenie Man and last year’s World Reggae Dance Championship winner, Endevarous Dancers.