So it ended just the way I had expected: Nadata, Dominic and Patricia as 1, 2 and 3 after a phenomenal evening of performances by some of Guyana’s best. In fact, the ‘Grand Finale’ of the GT&T Feel the Beat competition went smoothly, I almost wish it had never ended.
The evening began with the introductions; the names of the finalists were called and a video recording was shown of their interviews. Patricia got her cheers but Nadata’s crew was louder and Dominic’s fans nearly tore down the theatre; the support was just ear numbing. The curtains lifted on the top 9 –Adona was absent having accompanied her brother to a karate tournament in Panama. The audience only had a brief peek of the top 3 as they walked off the stage briskly.
Songstress Jackie Hanover did Jessie J’s “Price Tag” – a moving performance, which she ratcheted up a notch with a hip hop guest appearance by Aiesha, perhaps the best female hip hop artiste in the country. The duo together set the crowd on fire.
Classique came on stage next, followed by the guys of the top 10 doing a hip hop extravaganza, flowing into another appearance by Aiesha.
Calais Peterkin silenced the audience with her performance of Beyoncé’s “Broken Hearted Girl” with nothing more than her voice and live piano. The audience was moved and some were even surprised.
The Afro-Caribbean beat, one of the favourite choreographies of the judges was back with David, Sasha and Quaison heating up the stage only to have the hype quashed by out-of-sync male dancers of the National Dance Company.
However Kathak dancer Kenrick Cheeks was next and he astonished the audience with his foot movements. Clifton and Sasha then danced a routine choreographed by Kijana Lewis; this was followed by a performance from the Fire Fest Dancers.
Perhaps the highlight of the first segment of the show was the introduction of the 12 contestants of Hits and Jams’ Queen of the Crown Pageant for Jamzone 2012.
A group of little girls called the Riverside Angels gracefully presented a piece that was far more exhilarating then the National Dance Company’s. They were far more prepared and ready for the stage, their synchronisation was flawless and they all looked angelic.
Proving that the Elmo’s of this world have a place, Daniel Mann was next up. The crowd went wild as they had been waiting to see him since the finale began. Feel the Beat’s very own Quaison, Jemal, Kenrick and two others danced to Lil Rick’s “Jones and Wuk Up”. This really is my favourite piece and I’m glad that I got to see it live.
Classique returned with a piece entitled “I Am” revealing why its’ the number one dance company in the country.
Jori was next and he had the Cultural Centre singing along.
Remember the Hip Hop piece by Sonia and Jemal? Well they reminded us what they were capable of as they excited the audience and beat down the stage, but nothing -NOTHING dear readers prepared me for what came next. I would strongly advise that tomorrow night you switch on that TV to NCN or HJTV around 8 pm and wait for this one. What I saw was indescribable.
The Top 6 dancers then did their solo routines, as a preview of the upcoming ‘Feel the Beat National Summer Tour’.
The female members of the National Dance Company were next and they outdid the males. Their black leather suits had guys at the edges of their seats.
Finally, it was time for the solo performances.
Patricia was first. Wearing red, she began dancing to Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music”. Just as she was beginning to lose the audience, she stopped, tore off her red clothing and revealed a blue and white costume, the music changed to X2’s “Switch It Up”. The audience went wild.
Dominic started his performance to Nicki Minaj’s “Roman’s Holiday” where in a psychotic phase he disrobed and tore up his clothing. He then danced his way along the stage to a jazz-like salsa beat which sent the crowd in an uproar.
But when Nadata appeared on stage, it was clear they had saved the best for last. She emerged to X2’s “Switch It Up” wearing a blue one-piece suit, holding a stereo in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. She signalled the DJ to run back the track and stormed down the stage, wining and gyrating. The song then switched to Machael Montano’s “Charge” and the audience was louder.
Before the results were announced, Jovan and Vivienne commented on the dancers’ performances and overall reviews. Jovan mentioned that we cannot stop applauding Hits and Jams for bringing the initiative alive and GT&T for financing the competition – the audience agreed by cheering. She continued to describe each dancer, Patricia as being well rounded and high spirited, Dominic as a phenomenal dancer with a beautiful personality and Nadata as Ms Sassy with the right approach for achieving her dreams.
Vivienne gave a brief statement saying that whether you win or not, it’s how you play the game. She concluded by thanking all the participants.
Clive then announced the third runner-up and the winner of $250,000 as Patricia Bookie. Patricia bowed and walked off the stage, never to be seen again. Second runner-up and winner of $500,000 as Dominic Alleyne, which automatically made Nadata Vancooten Guyana’s number one dancer and winner of $1,000,000 – she was handed the cheque by Yog Mahadeo, CEO of GT&T; Dominic hugged and congratulated her and they later did a little dance together before Nadata’s final solo. In addition, Quaison Nelson was awarded fourth place and $150,000 and Jamal Ellis fifth and $100,000. (Jairo Rodrigues)
