By Tanya Batson, Staff Reporter 
This dance group performs their item at the JCDC Dance finals held at the Little Theatre in Kingston recently. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
WHEN THEY got to the Little Theatre on Wednesday afternoon, the throngs of children gathered there seemed intent on letting the entire world know that months of gruelling work was at an end.
Whether they had won or lost, they seemed rather excited. They had made it to the national finals of Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's (JCDC) festival competition and thus had every reason to be happy. The students, mainly girls, had put on a great show and deserved the joy they so vocally expressed.
Nineteen trophies were given out on Wednesday to schools in the junior and intermediate categories, classes one through four. There were 13 sectional trophies, four were awarded for being the best school in each of the four regions as well as trophies for the best junior school and the best intermediate school.
St. George's Girls Primary School was named the best junior school. The school went home with a total of six trophies, topping their performance last year, winning in five of the six categories in which they had entries.
In class one, they conducted a very successful coup winning all three categories: Creative Folk; Popular; and Modern Contemporary dance for 'Sanctification', 'Natures Friend' and 'Poppin' respectively.
In class two the girls again entered three categories, but this time only two of the dances received the top scores. 'Out Cry' won the Best Modern Contemporary trophy while 'Reggae Thugs', won Best Popular Dance. As a result, St. George's went home with a sixth trophy, winning recognition as the best junior school in the competition.
Tivoli Gardens High's 'Tigi Tots', who won four trophies for themselves received the second national prize. They were named the best intermediate school. They also received a trophy for being the best school in the Eastern region, which interestingly, also housed St. George's. This suggested that although the Tivoli students did not win all the categories in which they participated, they generally scored very well.
The school also received two sectional awards. Their class 3 Modern Contemporary dance, 'Scope' won in its section. The dance literally went outside of the box with a science fiction-like presentation, as the girls began and ended their dance inside a silver box, from which they had burst forth. 'Link', also in the Modern Contemporary category, but in class 4, also topped its section.
Clonmel Primary and Junior High school also won two sectional awards. Their dance 'Folk Ways', won the best Creative Folk dance in class 4. They also excelled in the Popular Dance category, also of class 4 with 'Reminiscence'. Clonmel also received a trophy for being the best school in its region.
The only group which made it to this level of the competition, The Institute of Jamaica Junior Centre, also went home with a trophy in hand. The group went home with the trophy for best Creative Folk dance in class 3 for the 'South African Projection'. The Institute mainly entered in the creative folk category, but it must be noted that most of their dances were very distinct from the others in the category. They tended to avoid the tactic of wearing flamboyantly bright costumes and irrelevant props that many of the schools went for.
The other sectional prizes were won by Alley Primary School, St. Peter and Paul Preparatory and St. Theresa Preparatory. Alley Primary received the trophy for the Best Popular dance in class three for 'Bad Inna Style'. Interestingly, 'Bad Inna Style' was the only dance which featured only boys. In fact, many of the dances either featured only or mainly girls. Alley Primary was also named the best school in the central region
St. Theresa Preparatory won their only trophy of the competition with 'Merry Making' which entered in Class two, Creative Folk dance.
St. Peter and Paul Preparatory took home the trophy for the best Dance Drama for their dance 'Alice in Danceland'. They also had the distinction of being the only school in that category. However, it must be noted that their award was not given merely on that factor because they still have to have a sufficiently high score to receive a trophy.
Howard Cooke Primary School, which had three entries in the competition, was named the best Western school.
