Andre Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

The Jamaican Folk Singers in their 2006 concert season, entitled 'Ol Time Story', staged at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Avenue, last September. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

It is no small feat maintaining a performing group for a year, much less for over a quarter century.

"We thought that if we could get a group together that could be present not only locally but internationally it would be good," said Bridget Spaulding, company secretary and treasurer of the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC).

Jamaica, a country vibrant in the performing arts, has quite a few ensembles that have reached this milestone and are looking to go beyond. As it is when creative heads come together ideas are bound to clash, but there must be a procedure to move beyond the storm.

"It is a love for what you do. If you don't love it, then when the problems come it will be easy to say you can't bother. Commitment, that is one of the most important things," said Marilyn Brice-MacDonald, who has been with the Jamaican Folk Singers for 39 of its 40 years of existence, and has sat on some of its management committees.

But along with commitment, longevity comes in other forms. The requirements range from the iron-fisted approach to budget management, low tolerance for wayward behaviour and a genuine love for what the practitioners do. Some of the groups thathave been around longer than a significant portion of the Jamaican population are Movements Dance Company, the NDTC, The Jamaican Folk Singers, The Little Theatre Company, the Carifolk Singers and the University Singers. Today, they are as relevant as they were when they just started.

The first thing many of the companies did was set up a management committee. The committee usually includes a chairman, the artistic director, musical director, executive director and sometimes other founding members.

Internal issues

"The management committee sets policies, calendar and budget and decides how to go forward," said Monica Campbell, artistic director for Movements Dance Company.

One other thing that has been given special attention is the approach to dealing with internal issues. It would be naive to think that everybody is going to get along every time. For the NDTC, problems are dealt with in the different sections, but if they cannot be resolved there they are referred to the artistic director, Professor Rex Nettleford. The procedure is the same with Movements.

"The extent to which you experience internal problems is the extent to which you handle them. We don't tolerate what can create strife. As artistic director I try to work out situation in equitable ways," Campbell said. "We are all professionals and we don't have time for problems. You just want to come and let it remain a positive outlet. We can't function in disharmony. Our biggest obstacle is how much time people can put in, and resource are sometimes scarce."

It is also worth mentioning that many of those at the helm of the companies are founding members or members who have been around for more than 30 years. There may come a time when they may leave their positions, but the contingency plan is to get other members involved in choreographing, arranging and writing for when that time comes.

"The structure and form might change, but we will survive. You find that there are still a lot of original members around and, once you have that core group, that will work," Spaulding said.

That, perhaps, sums up why these groups have maintained their presence and relevance over the years. Maturity and longevity came as a result of decades of experience and commitment.

"As people change, you have to change ... it has been working. Sometimes it is better not having one and sometimes it is better having one. You just have to do what works," Brice-MacDonald said.