Alternative Dance Crew, Triple Threat Crew, Youth Alliance, Ambassador Dance Crew, Swing Squad, An Iz Dat–these names all have one thing in common. Whether you've been living beneath a rock or you stepped away from your television for just a little too long, you've missed what's probably been the most exciting competition for the year in T&T.
The 2010 edition of T&T's #1 Dance Crew competition, promoted and steered by urban television leader, Synergy TV, has been a part of local programming since July and will continue until September. Vice president of marketing at Synergy, Aleezah Rose, told the Guardian the reality series had proven successful this season, with many agreeing that the contenders were much better this time around, than the last.
Theatrics strong
With main sponsor Digicel, along with Coca-Cola Zero, Lucozade and others, the winner of the competition is guaranteed $60,000 cash, prizes from the sponsors themselves and of course, bragging rights. "One dance crew is eliminated each week," said Rose. She highlighted that the weekly tapings take place at Club Zen in Port-of-Spain and the show is aired each Wednesday on Synergy TV from 9 pm�10 pm, with repeat episodes shown throughout the week.
Hosted by radio personality and soca artiste, Shal Marshal, the competition has taken on quite a theatrical face this season, according to Rose. "This year the groups have brought a lot of theatrics. There's a lot of acting which is quite interesting," she said, adding, "every week there's a theme for the show that the contestants must follow. They're judged on various areas which include synchronisation, originality, interpretation of music, overall presentation and costuming."
Rose said the judges, La Shaun Prescott, Jade Campbell, Rene Arneaud and Jameelah Toi Phillips often indulge in the creation of themes for the young and eager participants. "The first theme was given by the judges," she said. The dance crews were asked to pick a CD which contained music selected by each judge. They were then asked to create their themes for show time, based on the music they got.
African dance for semis
On August 17, 11 groups faced the judges at Club Zen where the show was taped. Rose said two groups would have been eliminated on Wednesday, during the live show. Along with the scorecard of each judge, votes text to Digicel codes for each group by viewers, led to the final decision on show night–episode six of the #1 Dance Crew series. In 2009, an all=girl dance crew took home the prize.
Blackout has since been featured at various Carnival events and even on television advertisements. Rose admitted, however, that a few members have since dropped out but Blackout remains strong, as others have joined. With workshops geared at strengthening the skills of the young competitors, held during the week prior to the taping of the show, those involved benefit from the practicality of the competition. "Aside from elimination, on Saturday, (August 21), a live show is being held at Club Zen. That's the semi-finals of the show. "The contestants will have to perform to music from the Kiskadee Caravan era and they'll also have to do an African piece with live African drums," Rose explained.
She also divulged that the with Synergy TV airing in Grenada, calls have been coming in for the inclusion of that island's dance crews to get involved. Rose said while this was anticipated for the future, the dynamics of the process must be worked out. For now, though, T&T's #1 Dance Crew is alive and soaring to finals night when one dance crew will steal the right to brag and walk away with a pocket full of cash.