OVER 20 days of exciting competition in the areas of dance, music, drama, traditional folk forms, music and speech kicks off today at the Little Theatre in Kingston.

The National Festival of the Performing Arts 2010, organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) will see thousands of performers of all ages, competing for coveted gold medals and national recognition.

“This is the culmination of a process which began several months ago,” explained JCDC Executive Director, Grace Silvera. “We have also made several improvements to our methods of quality control and standards of judging,” Silvera informed, adding that this is a process which will ensure a consistently high standard of performances at the finals.

The Executive director also pointed to a series of developmental workshops held in each parish and which were designed to provide instruction and guidance to prospective trainers and instructors.

“We enhanced the quality of each workshop and in some cases even hosted residential workshops for the teachers and participants who were preparing to enter,” Silvera added.

A special highlight of the season will be the National Deaf Dance competition, scheduled for Saturday, June 26 which will see hundreds of hearing-impaired students from across Jamaica participating.

“What makes the deaf dance competition unique and impressive is the precise, graceful and rhythmic movements of the dancers, despite their disability,” Silvera said.

An opening ceremony will begin the festivities at 10 o’clock today, with Silvera scheduled to deliver the opening address.

The finals, which continue until July 3 at the Little Theatre, will commence at 10 am each day and members of the public are invited to view the spectacles which unfold.

In January, the JCDC undertook a major rebranding initiative which will see enhancements and changes being made to its varied programmes.