Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Scenes from the Movements Dance Company of Jamaica's 25th Anniversary Season of Dance, held at The little Theatre, Tom Redcam Avenue, on Thursday, November 2.

Alma Mock Yen, Contributor

I saw the Movements Dance Company of Jamaica in performance on their opening night at the Little Theatre, which marked their 25th anniversary in an "unbroken series of offerings since 1982".

The season was a short one, partly because of the demands made on Kingston's only fair-sized proscenium theatre (as in having a part of the stage in front of the curtain), now that the Ward Theatre seems to have been rendered non-functional, and partly because of the exorbitant cost of mounting any form of theatrical offering in Jamaica's capital city.

Movements' November 2 programme included Flashback, choreographed in 1973 by Monica Campbell; Ceremony, choreographed in 1989 by the late Neville Black; Tears of War, a new work by this year's guest choreographer, Christopher Huggins; and Only Fi Yuh, a new work by Jackie Guy dedicated to the memory of the late, much-loved 'Miss Lou'.

There were two highlights. First, there was the hauntingly beautiful Ceremony of Neville Black, from which his style of smooth enchainment, his characteristic brush strokes of economy, poignancy, and elegance filled the stage with aesthetically balanced groupings and fluidity of transitions. For those who interacted with him during the 1980s when he was active on the local dance scene, his spirit lived again.

Arresting solo

Then there was Arturo Castillo's solo in Guy's Only Fi Yu. Choreographed to a plaintive rendition of the Jamaican folk tune Liza by celebrated Jamaican soprano, Dawn Marie Virtue-James, the beautiful solo was as arresting as any of the time-honoured solos from Swan Lake or other established European classical ballet greats. It drew applause in mid-stream and, I gather, a few tears from the sentimental.

Castillo's solo was part of a dance about a Jamaican artistic icon (Bennett) designed by a creatively courageous man (Guy), who began his dancing career in a backyard patio in the East Kingston area of Harbour View, to traditional Jamaican music (Liza) vocalised by a talented Jamaican female pop singer. The movement was masterfully expressed through the muscles and sinews of a capable Cuban (Castillo). The message was clear. In dance as in track, without the benefit of ample resources, encouragement or support, the Caribbean region, led by Cuba and Jamaica, can equal the world.

Overall, the programme offered high energy, imaginative lighting, efficient costuming and sufficient contrast in the dances to keep the public from becoming bored. The still relevant Flashback, a commentary on the AIDS pandemic, provided a dramatic opening.

The dark mood, costumes, and economy of movement were an understated caption to the depiction of the wastefulness of war for individuals as well as for nations. By contrast, the insistent romp of Campbell's Baraka, although choreographically bland, illuminated the charge that our outlook be positive as we are all blessed.

Echoes of pantomime

Jackie Guy's Only Fi Yuh provided novelty. His was a multi-media presentation, merging video projection, with the wise words and ebullient voice of Louise Bennett, Virtue's coloratura, Ernie Smith's version of Evening Time and Dennis Brown's Revolution. What might easily have become a mish-mash avoided the danger, blending instead echoes of pantomime, Anansi, Ring Ding and Ms. Bennett's liberating ethos of "clap yourself".

Among the 'no-nos' was a measure of repetitiveness of movement, particularly in the patterns of locomotion. Greater variety would give some of the dances more distinctive flavours, but the commitment of the dancers diminished that flaw.

Another obvious no-no was the awkward fashion in which lead dancer Patrick Johnson carried his shoulders, but then he's done it 'his way' for several years and has removed the gaucheness by his passion and determination.

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