DANCE groups based locally, and as far away as Japan, converged on one stage Monday night to compete for the coveted title as World Reggae Dance Champion 2010. The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Reggae Dance Championships, sponsored by Claro Jamaica, featured 17 dance groups that displayed both popular and classic dancing styles at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre.

The total prize package was valued at up to $1.5M and the competition was visibly fierce as each round of performers displayed creative routines that highlighted the Jamaican reggae dance culture.

“Dancing has been a long standing method of expression and creativity in Jamaican culture. Claro is proud to be a part of the World Reggae Dance Championship as it is a perfect platform to showcase both the old and new within our culture,” said Joseph Oates, marketing manager at Claro Jamaica.

The title went to six-member group Anonymous, with some members coming from the more popularly known Shady Squad. The established team came prepared to show off their talents and was also well supported by several members of the audience.

“I’m proud of my group because it was a team effort. We came to showcase ourselves and we did just that. We plan to invest the prize money in the group,” said member, Conray Richards.

Anonymous received a cheque in the amount of $350,000 and Claro gift bags with Sony Ericcson Phones, as well as prize packages from other corporate sponsors.

Other winners on the night were the Untouchable Squad and Spanish Town Dance Troupe, who placed second and third, respectively. The Spanish Town Dance Troupe, 2009 winners of the World Reggae Dance Championships, performed well but was unable to maintain their title this year. Both second and third place winners received cheques for $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

MC Jerry D had the audience’s attention and kept them laughing with his outrageous antics. Performances by deejays Macka Diamond, Tifa and the self-proclaimed ‘King of the Dancehall’, Beenie Man thrilled the audience throughout the competition.