Broadcaster Jennifer “Jenny Jenny” Small, the chief organiser behind the annual Charles Chocolates Dancin’ Dynamites competition, says the series has experienced exponential growth while achieving its core objectives.

Small, a former Miss Jamaica Festival Queen titleholder, made the assertion in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, shortly after the launch of the show’s 19th season at Nelson Mandela Park in Half-Way-Tree on Wednesday.

“It has evolved… [from] a time when we had dancers not doing anything other than just dancing. When we started, we wanted to show that dancers, too, can entertain. We had a lot of groups wanting to burst out and we didn’t have as many of our dancers performing at events and performing in the hotels. Now you have more dancers doing up to three gigs, while also moving from the Jamaican stage to the global stage, teaching dancing,” Small shared.

She pointed to the inclusion of high schools in the competition.

“We have a number of high schools, and we have to go with that change. Last year, George Headley Primary was our very first primary school winners, because we are letting the talents grow,” Small added.

The top four winners from last season’s Charles Chocolates Dancin Dynamites competition were George Headley Primary (first place); Explosive Dancers from Spaulding, Clarendon, (second place); OPD Dancers, students from Oberdeen High School in St Elizabeth (third place); and Famous Overcome, a fusion of young men from Three Miles in St Andrew and Clarendon (fourth place).

For Season 19, the theme is ‘Fuse the Unforeseen’.

“We have over $3 million in cash and prizes this year. Our title sponsor Charles Chocolates will be giving away $15,000 weekly for the dancers’ clash. The first-place winner will walk away with $1 million in cash alone, a trip to Canada, and a performance at the jerk festival in Florida. Our second-place winner will have the chance to go on tour with dancehall artiste Razor B in Canada. All our top four winners will receive prizes,” Small added.

She continued: “You can expect high excitement, absolute thrills, and the unexpected this season. So, for this year, our sponsors will be cashing in even more with Charles Chocolates giving away clash money each night. Whatever challenges the sponsors throw at them, if they do it well, there’s an additional incentive.”

Auditions will begin on Saturday,0 January 18 at “Big Tree” in downtown, Kingston. It moves to the Ocho Rios Square the following week, January 25; while February 1, the May Pen Square will see another round of auditions. The final auditions for this season will take place at Sam Sharpe Square on February 8 in Montego Bay, St James.