THE INSTITUTE of Jamaica (IOJ) continued their celebration of 'Black History Month' with a tribute to Bob Marley on the icon's birthday, February 6. The lecture room at the institute was packed to capacity, with students from several schools present. The tribute, featuring performances by the Tivoli Comprehensive dance troupe, was part of the lunch hour series that the institute has conducted for decades.
The dance troupe, which currently boasts having attained 350 gold medals in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's national dance festival competition, entertained the audience with dances from their 2001 and 2002 repertoires.
The dancers performed popular, modern and folk dances. They started out with the folk dance 'Potpourri' which was performed to Shaggy's Chica Bonita. Potpourri lived up to its name by providing an interesting blend of colours and folk techniques including the Maypole.
Other folk dances performed included 'Pitchy Patchy' (a dance featuring the Jonkunnu character of the same name), and a walk'Little Queens'was performed by an offshoot segment of the dance troupe, the Tigitots. Tigitots are made up of those students too young to attend Tivoli Gardens High.
The modern dances gave looks at science fiction and at religion. At the more sci-fi end of the spectrum was 'Scope', a testament to the flexibility of the young, performed by the Tigitots. 'Adulation', performed to Dean Frazer's wonderful interpretation of Amazing Grace, was the second modern piece.
The dance Mix Lick, brought in the popular element. 'Mix Lick' was performed to a montage of dancehall songs including Bumper Bottom and Trailer Load.
The lunch hour concert series continues on February 20, with a performance by the School of Dance of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. The Movements Dance Theatre Company will give their contribution to the lunch hour concerts on Thursday, February 27.
The month-long celebration will also feature two lectures. This Thursday, L'Antoinette Stines will provide a lecture demonstration on the 'The Dance as Ancestral Memories'. The second lecture will be provided by Cheryl Ryman on Tuesday, February 18.
The Institute's celebration of the month will also include several outreach programmes. They will journey to May Pen, Clarendon on Wednesday for a feature on Nago and Etu. This programme will also be taken to Papine Comprehensive High in the latter part of the month, on February 26.
The African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank (ACIJ/JMB) will also be involved in these outreach programmes. The ACIJ/JMB made its first excursion to St. George's Girls School on Tuesday morning with a video presentation of African retention in Jamaican Dance.
The ACIJ/JMB goes to the Portmore Junior Centre on February 17, with a presentation on Gerreh as a dance form. Later that week, February 19, they will journey to Golden Spring Primary in Temple Hall for a presentation on Kumina as a dance form. A look at Jonkunnu will also be included on February 19, at the Mico Care Centre. Their final outreach, a look at traditional dances, takes place on the last day of the month at the Anglican Church Hall in Morant Bay.
