Local fashion house Yolvinta has proudly sponsored the team jackets for the PAH! Def Dance Community dancers and management team who were set to represent Jamaica for the first time at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood, California.

WCOPA — often called the ‘Talent Olympics’— brings together singers, dancers, actors, models, instrumentalists, and variety artists from around the globe to compete for scholarships, recording contracts, and medals. “When I saw Dr Terri-Karrelle Johnson on Instagram raising the alarm that the group was only halfway to their fund-raising goal, I knew we had to help,” Yolvinta founder & Creative Director Romario Clarke tells Tuesday Style Fashion (TSF).

“Although I wasn’t in a position to contribute financially to the trip itself, I asked Dr Johnson what the dancers planned to wear onstage. She told me they were considering a simple T-shirt-and-jeans look. I offered a better idea: A bold, unified jacket — something worthy of their talent and ambition,” Clarke shares.

Dr Johnson loved the concept, and later that month, Clarke surprised the team at their studio with customised Yolvinta jackets. “Even their director didn’t know we were coming. Seeing the dancers’ faces light up in gratitude was truly one of the most joyful moments I’ve experienced as a designer.”

Unfortunately, since the handover, the 2025 World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) has been postponed due to civil unrest and the threat of violence. “While we share the dancers’ disappointment, we’re already looking ahead to next summer and are more committed than ever to supporting their groundbreaking international debut,” says Clarke.

Yolvinta founder & Creative Director Romario Clarke is accompanied by Dr Terri-Karrelle Johnson as they surprise the PAH! Def Dance Community dancers with the brand’s Skippa Bomber Jacket. (Photo: Jermaine)

Clarke ensures a perfect fit.