Judging concludes for Community Dance Fest

By Hallam Hope

The curtain came down for judging of Zone finalists in Community Dance Fest Thursday with a combination of thrilling entertainment and socially-provocative pieces.

The adjudication section ranged from the tiny tots of Hindsbury Primary school performing a line dance to the “street dancing” or for some Hip Hop of Active Squad and Demolition Squad, both all-male dance groups, and the energetic female-dominant Kumba.

Thursday evening at St. Michael Secondary School was the second for groups from  St. Michael and the last of the four  Zone Final judging nights involving entries from across the island.

Toddlers and more experienced dancers kept their family and friends cheering the entire night and there was no lack of support for the male groups and definitely not for the Israel Lovell Foundation, whose dancers provided several supporting acts throughout the Zone Finals.

Emcee Antoine Williams was back with his inimitable style of hunour and audience-entertaining input. Organised and funded by the Community Development Department, Community Dance Fest will shift gear after the Christmas festivities in a build-up to the finals at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, at Wildey, on January 21^st.

Dressed adorably in their blue uniforms the Hindsbury students, who have been working hard at their presentation, opened the evening to the applause of the crowd. They were followed by the Wesley Hall infants performing an Afro-Caribbean piece in multi-coloured attire and the dancers of the Israel Lovell Foundation.. 

Kumba, mostly teenage females, thrilled the crowd and danced to a number of tunes, including the material  of Rihanna. There was a supporting indigenous dance from Dancing Africa, six females, a tuk band of two males, who gave a tribute to the Land Ship.

Following Kumba, the male dancers of Active Squad and Demolition Squad brought their fans to their feet with applause.

Wacky Wane was the closing act. As it’s name suggests, it is an entertainment group, bringing dance and stage performance in a light-hearted way which included a unicycle. A Michael Jackson impression piece  was a feature of the Wacky Wayne presentation.

Bullying, drugs feature in dance

By Hallam Hope

Positive messages on bullying, violence among the youth and drugs came to the fore as the Community Development Department staged the penultimate performance of the Zone Finals for Community Dance Fest.

A winner last year, Xtra Hype captivated the audience at St. Michael school Wednesday evening but the Reactive fans were equally vociferous in their presentation. Both all-male groups pulled out the stops to impress the judges ahead of the 2009-2010 finals at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on January 21^st.

But it was N.W.A which started the evening with an energetic piece entitled “Don’t Fight Down The Youth”. While the male Hip Hop items kept the audience in awe Little People Fun and Frolic, nine youthful females backed by a male, two-member Tuk Band, brought an entertaining, interestingly choreographed mix of dance rhythms. The popular Red Plastic Bag song “Something’s Happening” was again featured in the dance by the nine females.

N.W.A sent a message to adults to give the youth a chanceas Emcee Shellaine Bourne kept the crowd enthused with her crowd-pulling humour. Xtra Hype, appearing as school boys, took their presentation from the auditions to a new level and brought out the props in a storytelling item about raising funds through dance to support a youth injured in school violence.

Reactive linked gang violence and drugs in an energetic, positive piece about the island’s youths.

Variety was again a feature of this Zone Final for some groups from St. Michael. Shane Alleyne joined Cheryl Forde while Christof Trotman teamed up with Sharica Wilkinson in a ballroom dance “Hit The Road Jack”. Emcee Shellaine Bourne noted that all four youngsters are under the age of 13. And they performed excellently. They are from the Livy and Betty Alleyne Ballroom Dance Centre.

Modern dance was featured in a romantic “NIFCA Treasure Chest” performance by Rohan Blanche and Charissa Simmons, which spoke about doing anything for love. And there was something for the emcee, who was serenaded by Ricky Greenidge.

The last of the Zone Finals was scheduled for Thursday, also at St. Michael School, starting at 7 pm for groups from the St. Michael South Zone. Reports and information on Community Dance Fest are available on the Internet at www.comdev.gov.bb.

Community Dance Fest Thrills Audiences!

By Hallam Hope

The crowds are growing and the dance groups appear sharper as the Community Dance Fest Zone Finals continue to delight audiences.

Tuesday night was the turn for the Zone Finals for the southern parishes and the contrasting, yet  engaging performances of Praise Academy of Dance – New Era,Tabia, Adrenaline and Les Filles Magnifique kept Chief Judge Alicia Payne and her team engrossed.

New Era, from the well-known Christian dance organisation, Praise Academy of Dance, performed a piece which spoke to individual preparation for the “End Times”, the name of the dance. It was  typically energetic and interestingly choreographed with a traditional Christian message.

Tabia, comprising quite young females, came back to the judges with Red Plastic Bag’s tremendously popular “Something’s Happening”, a piece they brought from the auditions into this round of actual judging for the finals at Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on January 21^st. Community Dance Fest, formerly Community IndepenDANCE, is organised and funded by the Community Development Department.

Adrenaline, an all-male group, was a crowd pleaser with an energetic, confident rendition.

And Les Femmes Magnifiques, an all-female group hailing from Kingsland, featured stage props for the first time. They danced to a piece about the emotional distress which individuals have when they lose a friend or close family member. The R.I.P (Rest In Piece) stage props added a flavour to what appeared to be an improved performance from the auditions last month.

While the evening was free to the public the quality was high, with special performances making the occasion so much the richer. There was line dancing from Spring Thorne, led by Instructor Lloyd Jackman, and a male and female Salsa piece by Patricia Callender and Frank Brathwaite. They performed “Paradise” as Aspiration Dancers.

And there were treats from the “NIFCA Treasure Chest”, by The Institute, a male and female group attired in white called “Of Another Nature”. The “Treasure Chest”, also included Justin Poleon, who brought yet another style of dance to an entertaining evening.

Zone Finals performances were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday this week when groups from the parish of St. Michael were being judged at St. Michael school. All events start at 7 p.m. Reports and information on Community Dance Fest are posted daily on the website of the  Community Development Department – www.comdev.gov.bb

Community Dance Fest opens

By Hallam Hope

"Breathtaking, What rich talent among the youth, entertaining".

These were some of the comments from members of the audience as the curtain was lifted on the first of four Zone Finals of Community Dance Fest  2009 – 2010.

The performances of St. Peter-based Olos, a group of Christian girls and winners last year performing “Run For Life” and the St. Andrew all-male Supa Krazy, in an also entertaining and humorous piece called “Rescuing The Beach” kept the audience at Colleridge and Parry school on their toes.

But these groups, the first judged in the four-year-old Community Dance Fest, organised and sponsored by the Community Development Department, were just the tip of the iceberg for members of the audience who paid nothing to attend what was a thoroughly entertaining evening of quality dance and fun.

Nicolette Williams, a NIFCA finalist, gave a lovely solo dance “I Promise You” that added variety, while the Bethel Dancers from St. Peter brought an entertaining twist with their uplifting Christian piece, “Step Pon De Enemy”.  A four-female, one male group from the Israel  Lovell Foundation had the audience roaring with applause as they danced two Christmas items in their beautiful red and green costumes.

And there was the amazing twosome of Michael Taitt and Leon Joseph, whose mix of gymnastics and acrobatics left the crowd in disbelief. Master of Ceremonies Antoine Williams kept the performances moving along and mixed humour with an inviting character.

Several impromptu performances from the crowd contributed in no small measure to the evening’s entertainment. An elderly lady, Carmen, rendered “Beautiful Star of David”, a child sang “Come and Sing” and there were strong songs from the Kareoke mould. A Green Monkey which startled the audience, racing through the aisles and a Shaggy Bear also performance their  acrobatics on stage to add a different flavour to the evening at St. Peter.

The Community Dance Fest Zone Finals includes events Wednesday at Foundation School for dance groups from the southern parishes and Thursday and Friday at St. Michael School for groups from St. Michael, which has the largest numbers. The programmes start at 7 p.m and culminate with the finals at the Garry Sobers gymnasium on January 21^st, which is the solitary paid event. Community Dance Fest details and reports are available on the Internet at www.comdev.gov.bb.

Dance workshop lauded

By Hallam Hope

An excellent workshop with high quality information for the dancers involved in Community Dance Fest.

That’s how costume designer in the performing arts, Glenn “Genki” Brathwaite described the mix of theory and practical from the workshop held Sunday at the Errol Barrow Centre For Creative Imagination at Cave Hill.

“The information the dancers received today was A1,” Brathwaite said. “The audience was very attentive.”

The workshop was well attended and brought together 14 groups and schools, said Technical Director Ramon Joseph. Organised by the Community Development Department the event was designed to assist groups prepare for the Zone Finals of Community Dance Fest which starts December 14^th at Colleridge and Parry School for groups from the Northern parishes.

Judging in the Zone finals are also scheduled for Foundation School on December 15^th for the Southern Zone while dancers from St. Michael North and St. Michael South dancers will be judged at the auditorium of the St. Michael School on December 16^th and 17^th respectively. All events start at 6 p.m and attendance is free.

The Community Dance Fest will climax with finals at Garry Sobers Gymnasium on January 21^st.

The male group, Xtra Hype, winners last year, was there and the Hindsbury Primary School went through their paces to end the session.

Dancers were given technical advice from judges and specialists in various fields. Instruction and presentations were given in areas as diverse as physical warm-ups, choreography and costume design.

Judging in Community Dance Fest approaching

By Hallam Hope

The preliminaries are over and it is time for the bright lights and judging in the 2009-2010 Community Dance Fest.

The dancing programme moves into full swing with the Zone Finals, starting at Colleridge and Parry School for the Northern Zone on December 14^th.

The preliminaries for dance groups across the island were designed to select the best performers from each zone, provide the dancers and their management teams with an informal warm-up, at which the judges offer feedback on strengths and weaknesses, as well as improvements.

This will be enhanced with a workshop for participating groups which has been scheduled for the Errol Barrow Centre on Sunday, December 6^th by the Community Development Department (CDD), which is responsible for organising the events.

The Zone Finals will also see dancers being judged at Foundation School on December 15^th when it is the turn of those groups from the southern parishes to strut their stuff. Judging for St. Michael North will be held at the auditorium of the St. Michael School on December 16^th while participants from St. Michael South will be judged at the same venue on the following day.

A spokesperson for the Community Development Department (CDD) noted that admission for the Zone Finals is free and members of the community as well as friends and supporters of the participating groups are encouraged to attend in their numbers.

The finals will be held at the Garry Sobers Gymnasium on January 21^st. Tickets will be available from box offices to be announced. No tickets will be sold at the door.

The final preliminary or audition at Parkinson School last month for the St. Michael Zone attracted the largest number of groups from the – nine. Apart from the youthful all-female group, Little People Fun and Frolic, the participating groups were all males. Xtra Hype, winner last year, was among those performing and is determined to earn top place again this round. Generally the dancing was very well received by the community, organisers and fans present.

The Community Development Department is encouraging participation of small businesses and the private sector in the form of small donations in cash or kind, give-aways and sponsorship for the events.

Persons interested in Community Dance Fest are asked to visit the website of the Community Development Department at www.comdev.gov.bb for updates on the dance festival as well as activities and programmes of the Department.

Dance Fest gearing up!

By Hallam Hope

Dance Fest gearing up!

With a new name and a different slot in the calendar, welcome Community Dance Fest.

Once again organised and administered by the Community Development Department (CDD) the dance festival gets going with the preliminary judging events starting November 16th and continuing to the finals on January 21st. It is being held in collaboration with the Community Independence Celebrations Secretariat, the National Cultural Foundation and the Commission for Pan‐African Affairs.

Community Dance Fest aims to develop Zonal community‐based activities using the medium of dance for communication, mass involvement and social development.

Preliminary judging will be held for the Northern Zone at the Colleridge and Parry School on November 16th starting at 6 p.m. Admission is free.

The dance festival has been shifted from being principally an Independence activity and hence the change in name from Community IndepenDANCE. The theme this year is again “Unleashing the Spirit of the Community”.

An aim is to enhance the community involvement and energise community spirit through dance. The best eight performances from each of the zones, North, South, St. Michael North and St. Michael South will advance to the Zone Finals, from which there is another qualifying round for the finals on January 21st, 2010.

The organisers say interest is high for the preliminary events. Apart from the Northern preliminary the Southern preliminary will be held at Foundation School on November 17th, the St. Michael North preliminary has been set for November 18th at St. Michael School while the St. Michael South preliminary judging coming off on November 19th, also at St. Michael School.

All Contemporary dance with variations of all dance forms will be the basis for judging. Cash prizes as well as special awards and trophies are to be won.

General queries should be directed to the Community Development Department at telephone numbers 310‐1700/310‐1798 or via email at comdev@sunbeach.net. Entry forms are available from the Community Development Department, fourth floor, Warrens Office Complex or the Department’s website : www.comdev.gov.bb