Member of Garrison Youths and Dustville Dancers. - Brian McCalla Photos

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

It was American actor Nick Cannon who was the star of the show on a night when contestants on Dancin' Dynamites took on the 'storytelling' theme.

Held at JC Auditorium on Old Hope Road, St Andrew, on Saturday, scores of persons turned out for the show's recording, equipped with deafening pot covers and vuvuzelas.

The noise in the auditorium reached its peak when Cannon stepped into the venue with singer Kreesha Turner and other members of his entourage. There was intense screaming when he stepped on to the stage to speak with host Jenny Jenny.

"I love Jamaica!" he said, before going on to speak about his upcoming movie, King of the Dancehall, that will showcase Jamaican dancers.

When the show was held, there were more theatrics and stunts than actual dancing. St8 Edge and Untouchable Squad told a lengthy story with masks, treasure box, and glitter dust, but it was not very clear. They were nevertheless lauded for their creativity.

Overload Skankaz and Dominant Nation started with a simple story of a cop being assaulted by thieves after he tried to stop them, but somewhere in the middle of the performance, it got confusing when a superhero was brought into the mix. The group was given a standing ovation for its stunts and acrobatics. The judges, Kim Lee, Kalado and Kerry-Ann Henry, all seemed pleased with their presentation.

The first bit of actual dancing came during the performance by Nah Laugh and Endeavourous. In the end, they got two perfect scores and a nine out of 10 from Kalado, who said he enjoyed their presentation.

Card Unit and D Squad seemed to be in their element during their martial-arts-inspired story. It was a routine filled with lots of jumping and kicks.

"This is your strength, this is your area. It was strong for me," Henry said.

Later in the show, it was a zombie affair as Problem Squad and Black Eagles danced around in ripped outfits, which appeared to be covered with fake blood, as well as surgical gowns. They also got a good reception from the judges.

Garrison Youths and Dustville Dancers came at the end and definitely had more dancing in their routine than all the other contestants. Despite this, their scores were among the lowest for the night, with Kerry-Ann remarking that they had very good moments in the routine, but some flaws were also present.

Earlier in the night, dancehall artiste Kalado had the audience singing and dancing along to Bring Life and Personally.