Sadeke Brooks, STAR Writer

One of the riders from the Pro-Impact Stunt Team thrills the crowd with his near death performance.

It was definitely a case of calm before the storm at the Mountain Dew Stunt Festival on Easter Monday at the Jamalco Sports Complex, Clarendon.

The day's events got started at 10 a.m. with rides for the children, including the trampoline, train and Ferris wheel. There were also the expected gravity-defying stunts from the Pro-Impact Stunt Team and Crash Test Dummies from Jamaica, some of whom flipped their bicycles in the air. Despite the stunts being the highlight of the day, the patrons eagerly awaited the entertainers.

Attention diverted

Attention was diverted from the rides to dance competitions for the children who were not versed on the latest dance moves like 'To the World'. There were also two rather feisty little girls who wanted to sing and dance. One of them provided the thousands at Jamalco with laughter when, while on-stage, she asked the MC if she could go to the bathroom before performing.

The Balancer gave his piece when he balanced bottles, a chair, a ladder and, surprisingly a girl on a chair. 'Turner the Magician' did several tricks and had the audience in total disbelief when he pulled several razors linked by thread from his throat.

By this time it was approaching six in the evening and the crowd was getting rowdier by the minute. The security guards that were disrespectful while trying to control the crowd earlier were now being assisted by the police, who took a break from socialising. Soon the backstage area became crowded by children and adults alike. It became obvious that there were not enough security personnel at the event.

As it got later, lost children, mostly under 10-years-old, started appearing on the stage at almost five-minute intervals.

However, this did not prevent the performances from continuing as gospel artiste Noretta Lewis excited the crowd. The father and daughter duo, Tuggy Bear and Attibba, made everyone laugh and so too did Nana Moses. Other performers were Mad Squad Dancers, Hypa-Active Dancers, Xinyu, DNS Rappers, Virgo Don and Keri Paige. The group Exhale generated screams when they performed J-Holiday's Bed and Suffocate as well as Chris Brown's With You.

Hilarious Granny claimed that he was going to take the show. This was partially achieved with his strong wining prowess to songs like Pon De Edge. He made way for Harry Toddler who told the people not to "run in" but instructed them to Dance the Angel.

Black-er - a hit

Black-er was a hit among the women as he brought them into a frenzy. His performance was not child friendly when he lashed out against oral sex.

Apachie Chief and Sarge started a lively and funny performance but were interrupted by a loud uproar for Beenie Man as he entered the building. Thus, their performance was cut short.

He entered the stage about 9:15 p.m. with Dude but asked the ladies to be his 'BarBee' for Give It Up. The packed backstage was now out of control and the police had to form a barrier. He performed Back It Up and put the crowd in a near stampede mode. Nonetheless, the women made the effort to jiggle their bodies for Wine Gal.

Beenie Man did not take all the hype for himself. He introduced a young singer called Deno who, he said, was the "baddest" thing since AIDS. They brought the show to an end near 10 p.m.

The beautiful Xinyu giving a lively performance.

Hilarious Granny 'backing it up' for the mostly young audience.

Beenie introduces young artiste Deno to the crowd.