J.A.D. has been trying to shrug off their disappointment of not appearing on Tempo and is currently focusing on a dance gig in Anguilla in October. Photo: VINO

Neil Blyden of Blyden and Associates said he sent the tapes of J.A.D's performance to Tempo but it was not broadcast. Photo: VINO

According to the leader of the dance group, Dennis George, the main reason for entering the competition in July at short notice was because the team was hyped about the promise of appearing on Tempo.

“Tempo has been a really big thing in Tortola so the group was very excited about being featured internationally. We performed and won the competition and we waited months and months and didn’t hear any information so we felt very disappointed about what happened because people promised you stuff and it didn’t come through so as dancers and youths we were very disappointed.”

George said a lot of work was put into the performance since they rehearsed three times and week and also during the nights as they also had to juggle schooling while going through the trouble of getting their costumes but they did it all for the chance of being featured on Tempo and when it did not happen he was also under pressure as the leader of the group. “The dancers were looking up to me for answers and I couldn’t answer them and I looked to my manager and she couldn’t answer me so it was a whole mess.”

The dance leader/instructor is still hoping though that they would still get the opportunity to be featured on Tempo. “We hoping it can still come through but we are not holding on to it. That happened last year July and we have kept on performing. We have done better stuff so that hasn’t stopped us at all but we hoping that can still come through.”

Another dancer, who performed with J.A.D. for the BVI Can Dance Competition, Latisha Corea, said she was also very excited about the prospects of appearing on Tempo. “It was very exciting because it would have been a very big gig for us as we would have been on national television where everybody would have seen us and know who we are. We waited for a call but didn’t and then we took forever to get our money so it disappointed me bad because we had worked really hard.”

Manager of J.A.D. Tamara Archibald-Gill had told Virgin Islands News Online back in July following J.A.D. winning the dance competition that the group had only two weeks to prepare for the competition but the dancers worked very hard and she was very proud of their performance and achievement. “They have been doing a lot of local acts for a little while and they have always been pumped up because they have been getting a good response from the audience but we never really got into a competition. This was our first one and it gives them an opportunity to appear on Tempo and that in itself is amazing.” She had noted too then that the hard work was now going to start for the dancers as they were determined to be excellent representatives of the Virgin Islands when called to appear on Tempo.

However, promoter of the BVI Can Dance event, Neil Blyden of Blyden and Associates told Virgin Islands News Online that the event was advertised for eight weeks.

Blyden had told the media prior to the competition that he had decided on the dance competition following increased request for dance groups over the years and noted that substantial cash prizes will be on offer as well as international exposure since the event will be held in conjunction with Tempo. The winner of the competition, who was J.A.D, received $500 while the only other participating group, I-C Fanatic, received $200.

When contacted recently, Mr. Blyden told Virgin Islands News Online that the winners of the BVI Can Dance competition were never promised a separate shoot to appear on Tempo but that he was required to send the tapes for Tempo to broadcast. He noted that he did send the tapes, along with others from the other activities he promoted for Emancipation Festival and some of which were aired, however, J.A.D's performance is among those that are yet to be aired as part of the Caribbean dance festival.

He further said that Tempo has since shifted its focus on the US market and as such its content has been less of a Caribbean flavour.

Mr. Blyden, however, does not rule out the possibility that the performance of J.A.D. would be broadcast at some stage.

Meanwhile, J.A.D. has since been working on a new gig- to perform at the Performing Arts School in Anguilla in October. According to Mr. George, the group has been invited and that has brought some renewed excitement to the group.

And as a fundraising initiative, the group is also holding dance classes on Saturdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. above the Cutting Edge Fitness Centre on Road Reef.