Competition is heating up in The Lock Da Stage Three on Three Dance Competition. With only three more weeks to go before the semi-finals on June 19, dancers are pulling out all the stops to inch closer to that $1,500 grand prize.

Last week Pretty in Pink staved off the intense challenge from groups Base Control, Mystery Life Dancers and Xpression to emerge the winners of the third preliminary round and seize the $300 prize.

Pretty in Pink group member Tanesha Gittens admitted she was nervous before performing, especially in the third round which required dancers to perform a solo piece to a random song chosen by the DJ. She quickly gained confidence after getting strong support from the audience. “It felt great!” she told the Lock Da Stage team after accepting her prize.

Fellow group member Leann Parris noted that she greatly enjoyed the experience. She urged other dancers to never doubt themselves. “Always have confidence; always try your best. All experiences are good experiences; just go for it,” she said. Leann was particularly proud of the group’s win since their friends and family were unable attend the event to lend support and winners were chosen based on crowd response.

Organizer Marita Greenidge noted that this was often the fear of many dancers who had not yet amassed a large fan base. “What we’re finding however is that the crowd is very fair; they always vote for the best display of talent even if that display did not come from the group they had initially attended the event to support,” she said.

Sponsored by Hott 95.3 FM and Sprite, and endorsed by Youth Affairs and Culture Minister Stephen Lashley, the Lock Da Stage dance-off competition is designed to raise dance to a new level in Barbados and provide opportunities for young people to display their creative abilities. Each clash features three rounds, two of which the dancers are allowed to use their own music to perform. The final round requires the dancers to showcase their versatility by performing to an unfamiliar “wild card” piece chosen by the DJ.

The Dance Off Competition will continue each Sunday for five more weeks at the Israel Lovell Foundation. Semi-finals will be held on June 19 and finals June 26. Each week features an Open Mic session for the calypsonians, rappers and poets to display their talents. The Facebook pages of Lock Da Stage and Pon Di Scene TV are continuously updated with Information, including photos and video.