(Kingston: JAMAICA): The Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre will come alive with the return of the highly anticipated Best of Festival Series, a Jamaica 55 event, beginning on Tuesday, June 27.  A five-day event celebrating the best of the Performing Arts in the areas of Dance, Drama, Music, Speech and Traditional Folk Forms, the Best of Festival series will display award-winning performances selected from the 2017 National Festival of the Performing Arts. Organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Best of Festival will begin at 7:00 pm daily.

The concert series begins with the Best of Music on Tuesday, June 27, followed by the Best of Drama on Wednesday, June 28 and the Best of Traditional Folk Forms on Thursday, June 29. The Best of Speech will take place on Friday, June 30, while the Best of Dance will close out the series on Saturday, July 1.

“The National Festival of the Performing Arts is well known for the amazing talents that are unearthed each year in the areas of music, dance, speech, traditional folk forms and drama and the Best of Festival showcases the best of the best, wholesome, family entertainment for our patrons to enjoy!” said Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the JCDC, Stephen Davidson.

Davidson further highlighted that the performers hail from across the island and range from as young as six years old.  

“Our performers and performances bring a special flair to the performing arts scene, through the diversity of the programme. Our performers come from right across the island and bring the individual flavours of their parishes to their performances.” Davidson said.

He continued, “That diversity is further seen in each Performing Arts areas, as Best of Music will showcase Choirs, wind and string orchestras and Reggae bands, while Best of Dance will highlight Modern, Contemporary, Praise and African dances.”

 “Best of Traditional Folk Forms will highlight our nation’s rich traditional culture, featuring the Dinki Mini, Bruckins, Maypole and Quadrille; while Best of Speech will have story-telling, dub poetry and even stand-up comedy.” Davidson said, noting that Best of Drama will feature pieces from the categories Comedy, Fantasy and Experimental.

Tickets for the shows are $400 for Children and $800 for adults presold and $1000 at the gate, and can be purchased at the JCDC Head Office, 3- 5 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston 10, online at www.jcdcjamaica.com and at BX Ticket Hub at Bill Express locations island-wide.

The Best of Festival will be hosted at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, 36 Hope Road, Kingston 10, and is sponsored by CHASE Fund, Airports Authority of Jamaica, Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, Universal Service Fund, Television Jamaica and Happy Ice.