Culture

NIFCA Dance Finals maintains excellence and unfolds ‘discoveries’

The curtain came down on the 2023 NIFCA Performing Arts Finals with a night filled with wonderful choreographies executed by dancers who used their bodies to weave stories of love, pain, sorrow, friendship, courage, healing, music, mental health, and heritage all enhanced by costumes, lights, music or spoken word.

The NIFCA Dance Finals, themed: Sankofa: A Night of Discoveries, was a celebration of movement, an homage to those dancers who came before and a tangible demonstration of what the future holds in genres ranging from ballet, to street dance, lyrical jazz, to modern contemporary and African and Caribbean folk and praise dance. The Finals saw a total of 26 acts with eight making their debut.

Hundreds of dance aficionados, NIFCA stalwarts, family and friends gathered in the Frank Collymore Hall to watch the finalists go for gold and one of the many prizes offered in this creative art including the prestigious $35,000 Prime Minister’s Scholarship, The Richild Springer Award of Excellence and The Madame Ifill Award of Excellence.

This year, as part of NIFCA’s 50^th anniversary celebrations, entrants also have a chance to cop The Gene Carson Award of Excellence and The 50^th Anniversary of NIFCA Award for the Most Outstanding Presentation in NIFCA Dance.

During the four-hour show held on Thursday, November 16, soloists, duets, community groups, one secondary school, and dance schools stepped on stage to face the judges in 26 performances starting with The Ellerslie School doing a Sophia Lee choreography titled BLS Wise Vanguard and ending with Gem.in.I Project’s Unbroken, a Diane Brathwaite choreography which showed the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic and the fluctuating experiences impacted us a people.

Lee alsochoreographed Haynesville Youth Club’s two entries – Celebrating Our Heritage, a salute to the 160-year-old Barbados Landship and Nigbe Gbekekbi, a lively dance in the African category hailing African ancestry.

Also, among the groups performing were Pearls Dance Academy whose Culture gave snapshots of Barbadian culture intertwined with the engaging, fun tale of courtship between boy and girl all done to an original musical arrangement of Cultural Ambassador Dr. The Most Honourable Anthony ‘Gabby’ Carter’s classics Bridgetown Market and Emmerton.

Dancers from the 58-year-old Barbados Dance Centre seemed to thoroughly enjoy performing Rhythmic Rhapsody and Dance Again as much as the audience enjoyed watching them execute the ballet and jazz entries respectively.

In their third piece, Mother Nature’s Energy, they brought awareness to not only the importance of taking care of the earth, but how reliant humans are on it.

Although not chronicling the history of songs popular and dances, Multifarious Dance Crew’s B.F.A.B (Born from a Boom Box), told a story of music’s impact on an individual’s life, specifically and a nation generally encasing it as a “science experiment gone wrong” starting and ending with short clips from the popular 90s cartoon Pinky and The Brain.

Dance as a powerful method of communication and community was displayed by S. Neverson Dance Company’s And So We Danse; Gentle Steps Arts Academy’s had questions in Who Do You Judge and brought plenty attitude in Ballroom Babeez; Bajans in Movement represented different elements of time in a choreography of the same name and K-Eve’s (School of Performing Arts) celebrated sensuality, grace and strength, those aspects of womanhood and sisterhood in Feminine Synergy.

The soloists also depicted various themes in powerful and gripping performances.

In Showstoppa inspired by the movie The Next Step, Anika Small showed her prowess in the in the self-choreographed entry and in Unrequited Love which she choreographed, Shaunell Neverson conveyed pain and other emotions from the unreturned love she was grappling with, effectively.

Faith Williams’ self-choreographed entries – Speak The Name, performed under Praise Academy of Dance banner, and It’s Back which portrayed the journey of a woman fighting against her worst fear were profound.

She also performed Bittersweet Chapter One, as part of a duo with Akil Ifill, an educator making his dance debut because he wants to see more males competing in the artform. They depicted a love tangle between a man and a woman.

Kemal Marshall in State of Recovery, which he choreographed, explored the idea of recoveryas a never-ending process. He also explored the themes ofstruggle of mental health and grief among young people in a dynamic contemporary dance work showcased by Dreaming Black Boy Productionz in One More Day, the underlying message of which was that support from loved ones can help through difficult times and emotions.

That theme was also evident in Friendship Community Centre’s The Box and Issachar Arts’ Rescue, both duos, which dealt with suicide and strong support while Élevé Performing Arts Centre’s Healing examined the sorrow and anger that someone may feel as they navigate their healing process with the hope of a better tomorrow.

The Journey by Dancin’ Africa’s Jada Best showed that no matter the obstacles you face, you can overcome them by not quitting and in Kendra Leacock’s Rescue, she showed that leaning on God and His promise to guide and protect could carry bring you through any trials and tribulations.

NIFCA Dance Finals clearly demonstrated that the excellence synonymous with the festival, is continuing. (PR)

Culture

Clarification Of Investment Target For We Gatherin’ 2025

As the We Gatherin’ initiative continues in full stride, we take this time to thank those members of corporate Barbados who have committed to helping us reach our target of $5,000,000 (five million) in support and investment, whether cash or in kind.

So far, we have secured $500,000 from businesses across the island, and we continue to encourage other private sector entities to contribute to this historical initiative, that not only brings our society closer together but that will provide much needed assistance to programs that will benefit our youth, helping to steer us through troubled times to a better, more peaceful and prosperous Barbados for all.

After the recently concluded church service at St. Anne’s Church in St. Joseph, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight was keen to speak on the progress towards reaching this target.

“During my address, I inadvertently mentioned a figure of $5 million in private sector donations. That number reflects our aspirational goal, not the current reality. To clarify, we have presently secured $500,000 in contributions toward this initiative. We remain deeply grateful for the support received thus far and continue to encourage additional private sector partners to join us in this important national effort.”

We Gatherin’ 2025 continues with events and activities in St. Joseph for the month of April and moving on to St. John in May. (PR/GIS)

Culture

We Gatherin’ Activities Launched In Boston Over The Weekend

The spirit of Barbados was alive last Saturday, March 22, as the Consulate General of Barbados in New York, in partnership with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), officially launched the ‘We Gatherin’ 2025 series in Boston.

According to Consul General Lorenzo Harewood, the event, held at the Sorrel and Lime place, was a spectacular showcase of Barbadian culture, bringing together scores of Barbadians and friends of Barbados for an unforgettable experience.

“Attendees were immersed in the rich sights, sounds, and flavours of the island, enjoying pulsating local music, mouthwatering Bajan cuisine, and a vibrant marketplace filled with stalls owned by Barbadian entrepreneurs,” he said.

He noted that from handcrafted souvenirs to locally made products, the event provided a platform for businesses to connect with the diaspora and promote authentic Barbadian goods.

The Consul General said that the energy in the room was electric as Barbadians, young and old, reunited with friends, made new connections, and celebrated their shared heritage.

A major highlight of the evening was the exciting giveaways, including exclusive discounted travel packages and the grand prize won by Carson Straughn – a trip for two to Barbados. The winners were thrilled at the chance to visit their homeland and immerse themselves in all that the island has to offer.

Mr. Harewood stated that the successful launch marked the beginning of what promises to be an exhilarating ‘We Gatherin’ 2025’ series.

“With overwhelming support and enthusiasm from attendees, the celebrations are set to continue in Connecticut, and Philadelphia, and culminate in a grand finale in New York throughout April and May. Many attendees have pledged to follow the journey, eager to experience more of the warmth, culture, and togetherness that define the Barbadian spirit,” he remarked.

The Consul General added: “The partnership between the Consulate and BTMI underscores a shared commitment to strengthening connections between Barbados and its diaspora while promoting the island as a premier destination for both leisure and business.

“As the excitement builds, Barbadians across generations are encouraged to join the movement, return home, and take part in the national festivals and activities happening throughout 2025.”

During the event, a brief intermission provided an opportunity to recognise outstanding professional achievements. Mr. Harewood took to the stage to present the prestigious Professional Achievement Award to Professor Cardinal Warde, a distinguished faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Professor Warde is widely regarded as a leading expert in optical information processing and display technologies. His extensive contributions to the field include over 150 technical papers, co-editorship of a book, and co-authorship of three book chapters on optical materials and devices.

Beyond academia, his innovative work is reflected in 12 patents related to spatial light modulators, displays, and optical information processing systems, solidifying his influence in advancing cutting-edge optical technologies. (PR/GIS)

Culture

Season Of Emancipation Must Grow Beyond “A Set Date Of Activities”

Minister with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, is suggesting that the Season of Emancipation (SOE) moves beyond the commemoration of a “set of dates of activities”.

In fact, she believes that the time has come for the successes of the celebrations to be consolidated to create a larger footprint that resonates with Barbadians on a larger scale.

Senator Munro-Knight expressed this view during the 2025 Season of Emancipation media launch at the Rock Hall Freedom Village, St. Thomas.

The Minister told the gathering that the Ministry engaged in “a period of reflection” after the hosting of each Season of Emancipation activities through the lens of the Ministry’s internal critique, public opinion where applicable, and that of its stakeholders.

“And that reflection has said a couple of things to us, one, that the Season of Emancipation needs to move beyond a commemoration of a set of dates of activities to grounding that understanding of that intersection again with the past, now and future within communities and within the wider Barbadian psyche…. We need to move beyond the chorus of those of us who understand, those of us who are enthused, those of us who have already embraced the notion of emancipation and that journey and what it means…. Like I said before, embracing the wider Barbadian [public] and bringing them into the discourse and to the full understanding,” Senator Munro-Knight proffered.

She continued: “Our reflection on the Season of Emancipation also says to us that we need to create scale, that while we have done a number of things that have been good on their own, a number of activities that have been good on their own, that we need to make sure that we can now consolidate on those efforts that have been successful by creating a larger footprint, and then again, as I said, engaging more Barbadians.”

The Minister maintained that this year’s activities would see a “more concentrated effort and not just public relations” but educational awareness that involved a mix of competitions, docudramas, and other activities to lift the Season of Emancipation to a higher level of engagement.

A highlight of this year’s activities Dr. Munro-Knight said will be a partnership with Duke University in the United States of America on a project to immerse the bust of King Cuffie at sea in Speightstown, St. Peter. The bust will be removed one year later from the date, as an act of reconnecting with the past.

Meanwhile, Programme Advisor for Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement in the Prime Minister’s Office, Rodney Grant, gave an overview of the activities for the season, which runs from April 14 to August 27.

Mr. Grant said the public must never take the sacrifices of our ancestors for granted as we reflect on our journey to emancipation.

“Our ancestors never had free will. They could not choose when they wanted to eat, when they wanted to work, when they wanted to get up, when they wanted to go sleep, and we now, today, take this free will for granted. They died, suffered; they were burnt to death because they fought for us today to have freedom to do the things that we see are necessary and the things that we enjoy…. We should not take freedom for granted.”

Mr. Grant noted that emancipation and freedom were processes that were not yet over and it was “incumbent on all of us to continue to fight for emancipation”. (PR/GIS)