Team Overcome lands Dancin’ Dynamites crown
Clarendon-based dance group Team Overcome, the 2020- 2021 Charles Chocolates Dancin’ Dynamites champions, following the conclusion of Season 16 Charles of the competition on Saturday.
The group, which is comprised of Marcel Pitter, 21, Renardo Peart 26, and Paul McDermott 13, turned back the challenges of fellow finalists A1 Family, Strike Team, and Team Ovadose at the Excelsior Community College auditorium.
In addition to lifting the winner’s trophy, Team Overcome copped the grand prize and a host of other awards that exceeded $1 million. Strike Team, which placed second, received $400,000; and third-place finisher A1 Family got $200,000. Team Ovadose walked away with $50,000.
Strike Team also won this year’s People’s Choice award, taking home a $20,000 cash prize from Charles Chocolates for bringing their best performance every week of the competition.
The journey to Saturday’s culmination began last January, when the new season kicked off, but the COVID-19 pandemic intervened, resulting in delays. The Team Overcome dancers, however, kept their eyes on the prize.
“Even when the competition was postponed, we stayed together and pushed each other by practising daily and entering competitions on Instagram. We never doubted ourselves and knew from the beginning that we were going to win, so we would campaign daily up in the communities in May Pen until about 7 p.m. and then practise until about 1 a.m,” said Pitter, the leader of the squad.
Roxanne Brown, brand manager of Charles Chocolates, the title sponsor for the past 11 years, said she is proud to be on board to lead the sponsorship and to assist with the development of Jamaica’s youth.
“Jamaica is built on talent. We stand out in every sphere of life, thanks to our tenacious spirit and the passion we bring to everything we do,” she said.
“We have some very talented young people in our country, and we are happy that Charles Chocolates has been assisting them in their personal growth through the expression of dance and healthy competition.”