COME July 27, approximately 20 dance groups will battle for the chance to be the top crew and a shot at the main prize of US$10,000, in the Boom Badda Dan: the ultimate dancehall dance battle.

In a bid to push dancehall music and make its contribution to promoting Brand Jamaica, Boom energy drink has organised this event which is expected to attract dancers from across the globe.

Chieftin Campbell, community relations coordinator for Boom, explained the idea came about having seen where a number of visitors to Jamaica have come here, learned the popular dance moves, go back to their countries of origin and teaching it to a wider audience.

“This is unlike any other dance competition. What we have done is opened the competition to a global audience. Anybody can enter and the response has been great,” Campbell told the Jamaica Observer.

To date, the competition has received one entry from overseas. A dance crew from Sweden has sent in an entry. Campbell said a number of other overseas teams want to enter but are finding it hard to make their way to Jamaica.

Campbell adds that the organisers are currently viewing tapes of the potential competitors for the event which is scheduled to take place on the basketball court at the National Stadium in St Andrew.

“Because it’s our first year and a one-day event, we want to bring it down to about 20 dance crews. The format will see crews battling each other until it comes down to the final two and the ultimate winner,” said Campbell.

The crews will be judged by a threesome of dancer/choreographers Orville Hall, Global Bob and Kameica Reid.