Above and right, two dances from the National Dance Theatre Company's 'Theatre Night' held last Wednesday at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Drive, St Andrew. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer THE NATIONAL Dance Theatre Company has been around for as many years as Jamaica has been independent. This is particularly interesting when the value of culture to Jamaica is looked at. Culture is most often the achievement Jamaicans turn to when we want to show the world that we are not a little 'back-a-wall' country.
Whether it is the success of reggae or our excellence in the performing arts, culture is what Jamaica often uses to offset whatever ill-gotten fame we might otherwise find thrust upon us.
In a very similar vein, the University of the West Indies and the University of Technology attempted to dazzle delegates of the 14th International Meeting of University Administrators (IMUA), with local culture last Wednesday. For that purpose 'Theatre Night', an evening with the NDTC, was presented at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Drive, St Andrew.
What the night certainly proved however, was that the NDTC can be described as a cultural repository for the island's dance forms as well as a place where new ideas can find fertile ground.
Theatre Night included seven dances and a performance by the NDTC singers. The dances were a combination of works by the seasoned choreographers and some of the younger ones. Of course, this included two pieces choreographed by Rex Nettleford. The final piece, Gerrehbenta, was itself a potpourri of Jamaican folk dance forms. Gerrehbenta was one of the pieces crafted by Nettleford. The dance, based on 'deadyard ceremonies' mixed Jonkunnu, specifically the Horsehead character and Gerreh moves. As such, it was a look at how a life is celebrated after someone has died.
Another dance which celebrated folk, though not particularly Jamaican, was Incantation. This intriguing, imaginative and intense work was choreographed by Jean-Guy Saintus of Haiti. The work drew on the voodoo ritual and archetypal African-Caribbean movements.
Interestingly, the celebration of life was also a note on which the show began. The first dance of the night, Cave's End, was also choreographed by Nettleford. Cave's End brought to life the music from Jimmy Cliff's 1998 album, Journey of a Lifetime. As such, it was also a celebration of Cliff's musical journey.
By extension, the dance was also a look at Jamaica's cultural icon. To the melody and rhythm of one of Jamaica's most prolific musicians, Cave's End showed different sides of Jamaican life. It looked at the search for life's meaning, struggle and religion.
The other dances which made up the evening's repertoire were generally of more modern experimental blend. Labess, choreographed by David Brown, was in particular a tribute to dynamism. Much of the dance was confined to a very limited space, the first third done almost entirely along a single diagonal line. It was actually impressive that so much could be done in just a line. Even when the dancers were made to spread out, they still used limited space, which simply served to make the piece more interesting. The dance seemed to defy the theatrical tradition which says one must use up the space given.
Cocoon brought a bit of science fiction to the evening's proceedings. The dance, which seemed to borrow somewhat from Steven Speilberg's E. T., explored the idea of life on other planets. It told the tale of two hunters who come upon a life-form different from their own. After the birth of these lifeforms, the hunters fall for two newcomers.
The most impressive part of this dance, however, took place while the aliens were still in their cocoon. This aspect was an imaginatively choreographed segment. The dance was choreographed by Arlene Richards.
The only solo piece for the night was Phases of the Three Moons (Part 1). This dance was choreographed by Clive Thompson. One of the shortest pieces of the night, it did not fail to leave its mark on the evening.
Millenial Beings, choreoghraphed by Marlon Simms, rounded out the dances for the night. The duet was an intriguing experimental dance which seemed to be a wonderful display of strength. It was one of the few pieces on the night which drew spontaneous applause while it was being performed.
