Youngsters from the Ebony Park Performing Arts Group as they delighted the audience at the Little Theatre on Saturday. The piece was entitled 'Ebony in Dance'. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer HEART TRUST/NTA offered up a delightful mixture of good, wholesome, family entertainment on Saturday to an appreciative and eager audience. The event, dubbed a 'Cultural Evening of Excellence', was held at the Little Theatre.
Just about all aspects of Jamaica's cultural mosaic were explored. There was dance, song, poetry and drama. The night's entertainment started out slowly but quickly gathered momentum, transforming into an energetic and, at times, humorous event. There were many outstanding performances from youth and adult alike.
There was even a skit, entitled 'Step Up Time' that featured Volier 'Maffy' Johnson, which brought the usual side-splitting and bawdy humour associated with Jamaican theatre to bear on the proceedings. This item delivered the right mixture of dry humour, a precise imitation of sections of our culture and lifestyle, in this case, 'higglering', expressions doused with ambiguous meanings, and a few fresh jokes.
However, the beauty of the skit was that the cast, made up of mostly amateur actors, fitted themselves well into their roles, and pulling off sterling performances.
'Step Up Time' was a memorable piece which delivered the Heart Trust's theme, 'Skill is Power'.
The JCDC's efforts to sustain and develop new talent could be seen as a dream realised as many of their gold medallists thrilled the audience, rendering well thought-out and creative deliveries.
The young trainees of Ebony Park Academy, winners of a JCDC gold medal, delighted the audience with their cultural dance piece. The youngsters gave an entertaining performance, triggering memories of a time when having fun was a priority and the emphasis was on national consciousness rather than self. As they danced, obvious looks of enjoyment were plastered on their faces. Many in the audience nodded in approval.
The group from Ebony Park Academy came back to delight for a second time. On this occasion they displayed their own interpretations of the wide spectrum of Jamaica's dances from its folkloric origin to modern day 'adaptations and variations'. The audience could not help offering up healthy applause to the deserving adolescents. The colours of the costumes and the fluidity of movement of the young performers were the highlights of the pieces.
Young Aisha Ricketts, another JCDC gold medal winner, also gave the audience something for their money as she thrilled them with her lovely voice. Her sincere facial expressions when performing what can only be described as a superb rendition of a song with the words 'God made you special' were what made the youngster a memorable performer. She also showed her vocal capabilities when she did her version of John Denver's Perhaps Love.
By the time Kimilea Isaacs took the stage and launched into a rendition of the Brooklyn Tabernacles' I Am Not Ashamed, it was clear that the entertainment package would cater to the soul as well. Isaacs is a legally blind past student of Wolmer's School for Girls and a student of the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts. As Kimilea sang each word with conviction, it was clear, judging from the response of the audience, that her words did not fall on deaf ears. Her second song, Redeemer, originally by Nicole Mullen, was equally spiritually stimulating.
June Lawson and Friends, Sidney Thorpe on keyboard and vocals, and Owen 'Blacka' Ellis were among those who also gave awesome performances.
