NDTC dances with a new step

NDTC in performance. The dance is 'On Sacred Ground' created by Arlene Richards. - Contributed

NEW CHOREOGRAPHERS will mount their creations in the forthcoming National Dance Theatre Company's (NDTC) 39th Season of Dance starting next Friday, July 27 at the Little Theatre.

A new generation of choreographers Christopher Walker, Marlon Simms and Arsenio Andrade join the ones slightly ahead of them like Arlene Richards who will again mount a new work, "On Sacred Ground", this year and Monica Lawrence whose "Identity" of last Season will have a remount this year.

Arsenio Andrade heads the list of newer choreographers with two short works - 'Footprints', a duet created for himself and the graceful, exciting Carole Orane, and 'Fusion' a male ensemble work utilising the talents of the strong NDTC male corps of dancers.

Marlon Simms, himself a senior provisional dancer with the company, brings his creative ability to a duo shaped for himself and Mark Phinn and entitled "Millennium Beings". It came out of the Young Choreographers Concert staged earlier this year by the NDTC as a means of discovery new dance-creators.

The other new generation choreographer is Christopher Walker, a Jamaica School of Dance graduate who has returned to the Season from State University of New York at Brockport where he completed a degree in Fine Arts on scholarship from NDTC. His work is "Of A Passage", a thoughtful and skilfully crafted dance-work utilising the instrument of some of the most talented young dancers of the NDTC.

NEW CREATIONS

These works join new creations by established choreographers Clive Thompson ("Ave Marie, Ave-A") and artistic director Rex Nettleford who has created for the 2001 Season "Brazilian Ode" for the full company as well as a solo for Abeldo Gonzales or Marlon Simms entitled "Redemption of Me". Mr. Thompson's work is to the music of Franklyn Halliburton of the University Singers and is created for soloist Arlene Richards.

From the active repertoire such dances as "Ritual of the Sunrise", "Gerrehbenta", "Kumina", "Diaspora", "Azure" and "Side By Side" will be presented along with the arrival of "Images" (Thompson) and "Tintinabulum" (Nettleford) remounted by Barry Moncrieffe, artistic co-ordinator and Arlene Richards who will again dress many of the dances. Lighting is by Rufus McDonald, stage managing by Tony Locke and sound direction by Steve Locke, with wardrobe in the hands of Barbara Kaufman.

The Season will run until August 26 playing from Thursdays to Saturdays with a matinee on Sundays.

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