#rex nettleford

[ndtcjamaica]

It’s about how this isolated piece of soul-stirring, emotional, out-of-body experience I endured as I sat down for the National Dance Theatre Company’s 43rd staging of Morning of Movement & Music, moved me in many ways.

[caribeandthebooks]

February 2024 Reading Wrap Up

I read 3 books and got 2 kindle challenge achievements this month!

Now let's look at the breakdown :)

Reading Challenge Progress: I committed to reading 30 books in 2024 so currently I'm ahead by 2 books!

Top Genre read in February 2024: Historical

My first read for February and 5th read for the year was Dance Jamaica: Renewal and Continuity, The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. Rating: 3/5

This book was gifted to me by the current Artistic Director of the NDTC. Personally non-fiction books are easier to digest when they're topics that interest you/impact your life AND when you can recognise the people mentioned in the book. Was a good read, a bit wordy but that's to be expected given the author.

Book #6 was Weyward by Emilia Hart. Rating: 2.5/5

I'm not surprised at the rating since I generally don't like books that have women suffering for no other reason that it's a thing that happens. This book won Best Historical Fiction for 2023 so that placed it on my radar. Definitely take the content warnings into account for this one.

Thanks to Weyward being a kindle read, I earned the New Year Kindle Challenge Achievements: Happily Ever After & Groundhog Day while reading this book. A win is a win!

Book #7 was The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna. Rating: 2.5/5

The Eternal Ones is the last book in the Deathless Trilogy. The book wrapped up the series as expected. As annoying as the characters were sometimes it wasn't out of context. I am looking forward to more from this author in the future!

And that's it!

See you next month but in the meantime, what have you been reading?

[lovedvra]

March 31, 2024 I woke up at 3:54 a.m. It felt like an adult field trip. I was too excited to sleep the night before and still excited when I woke up. By 5:30 a.m. we were on our way, five ladies on a trip to be blessed by dance and song. 6:00 A.M. The service began with an opening hymn to “Oh Worship the King”, directed and choreographed by Marlon D. Simms, artistic director of the National Dance Theatre Company with Dr. Kathy Brown as musical director. NDTC is always on time, but they gave the audience five minutes to be seated. We were in for a spiritual treat. My favourite pieces were an excerpt of a 2003 Clive Thompson choreography entitled “Of Sympathy and Love” danced by Mark Phinn. Please give Mark more solos. This is the third solo I’ve seen him do and he gets better every time. My next favourite is “Blood Canticles” (1996) with dancers Marisa Benain, Kerry-Ann Henry, Tamara Noel, Mischka Williams with music accompaniment from NDTC Singers and musicians. It was a tribute to recently passed Dr. Brian Heap who was integral in the company’s and Jamaica’s cultural impact. I assume that most of my readers are new to NDTC, so let me introduce a few of the dancers that I am familiar with. Kerry-Ann Henry is the principal ballerina for NdTC and a lecturer of Dance at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. Marisa Benain is a firecracker woman! She is a lawyer, CEO of Plíe for the Arts and dancer with NDTC. I’m sure she has many other accolades, but I love to see her on stage. “Luminosity” choreographed by Paul Newman and Amaya Gomes who is also danced this piece, made me want to throw an invisible fancy church hat and say “Yes girl, dance yah gyal! Dance!” My ultimate favourite from the day was “Creed”. Everyone held their breaths for this piece. This one made me excited for this year’s Season of Dance. I’ve tried to write about my experience watching the National Dance Theatre Company perform many times. Tears always well up in my eyes during their shows. I get  goosebumps too. I can’t help it, my spirit expands beyond what my body can contain and the appropriate response for the space isn’t spontaneous dancing or hooting and whollering from the audience. After watching my first Easter Morning show I can clearly say, that my eyes and heart respond since all my body can do is sit and sway as the pieces lift me to another creative realm. The synchronisation of choreography, dancer, song, lighting, costume, and stage props for each performance heals my connection to self, Jamaica and my African heritage bit by bit. I wonder if that was the intention behind each decision professor Rex Nettleford had in mind when began his journey with the company? It is refreshing to experience the continuation of that legacy through Marlon Simms’ leadership. To be honest, from the very first time I had the opportunity to watch an NDTC show in the Little, Little Theatre I’ve dreamt of being on that stage, dancing with them, rehearsing, pushing my body and creativity beyond limitations to make others feel what I feel every time I see dancers who love their craft perform. 8:30 a.m. I sat in my parents’ kitchen in awe. As I recounted the service with birds chirped their morning songs on the powerlines and from the trees. I felt so at peace that adding a spoon of brown sugar to my green tea felt like a blessed ritual. That’s how the arts move me. Without the arts where would we find respite amidst the chaos life brings? A grievous occasion such as Jesus’s cruxification is now the inspiration for a service of Movement and Music. The message and healing are there. They’re always available. All we need to do is tap in. Follow the page on Instagram @ndtcjamaica and stay hydrated lovelies.

[eriinn]

Je suis toujours sous le choque. J'ai enfin terminé mon Master. J'ai travaillé énormément.

J'ai eu pleins de doute. Parfois je ne croyais plus à mon travail. Ce travail m'a énormément mis dans la solitude. Et puis en même temps j'ai rencontré un amour exceptionnel.

A présent plein de portes s'ouvrent à moi. Je ne vais pas me plaindre. Mais limite je me perds, c'est suffocant. Je suis encore fatiguée.

Je veux faire de mon mieux. J'ai bientôt une conférence et ça me fait peur. Et puis j'écoute ma mère me parler. Il faut que je fasse comme si j'expliquais à une personne, à un enfant. Le plus simplement possible.

J'ai toujours cette énergie de gêne. Comme si je n'étais pas à ma place, ou si je n'étais pas légitime. Non. C'est bien moi qui ai parlé à une assemblée, même si j'ai aligné 3 phrases en anglais. J'ai monté une exposition seule, à l'étranger. Je suis capable de le faire. Mon objectif est de transmettre puis construire des idées. De créer des projets et j'ai pleins d'idées.

Alors même si des gens ne m'aiment pas, même s'ils tentent de me rabaisser, de par mes origines, mon histoire, mon physique. Non, je dois aller au dessus de ça. Mes projets sont plus grands que ces balivernes. Je m'inspire de modèles intellectuels (Rex Nettleford), artistique ( Frida Khalo) et puis le soutien inconditionnel de mes familles.

Tout va bien. A moi de faire la suite.

[havatabanca]

[islandpeeps]

Happy Birthday Prof. Rex Nettleford!!! Jamaican born Scholar, Social Critic, Choreographer, and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), the leading research university in the Commonwealth Caribbean!!! Today we celebrate you!!! #RexNettleford ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #islandpeeps #islandpeepsbirthdays #UWI #Chancellor #Jamaica (at The University of the West Indies, Mona)

[scholarshipja]

Kerry-Ann Henry celebrates 25 years with the #NDTC When the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (@ndtcjamaica) takes to the stage at the Little Theatre in St Andrew on July 19 for the opening of its 57th annual season of dance, ballet mistress Kerry-Ann Henry will be celebrating a milestone of her own. This year marks her 25th year as a dancer with the renowned local troupe which was co-founded by the late Professor Rex Nettleford and Eddy Thomas in 1962. Read more in today's Sunday Observer or follow the link in @jamaicaobserver IG story. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzYRC6FhNPP/?igshid=abapg750ia1r

[africandiasporaphd]

 Wynter, Sylvia. “1492: A New World View.” In Race, Discourse, and the Origin of the Americas: A New World View, edited by Vera Lawrence Hyatt and Rex Nettleford, 5–57, 1995.  

[goodnewsjamaica]

‘The Lion King’ Recruits In Ja, Because Garth Said So

New Post has been published on https://goodnewsjamaica.com/news/recruit-says-garth/

‘The Lion King’ Recruits In Ja, Because Garth Said So

It is upon Garth Fagan’s insistence that The Lion King on Broadway repeatedly visits Jamaica to source talent to include in their astronomically successful, perpetually touring, award-winning theatrical production.

The Jamaican choreographer has been an instrumental and inimitable contributor to that production in particular and to the wider world of dance in general, with his work presented on stages all over the world. Fagan has been settled in New York for many decades, but remains acutely aware of his roots, choosing to sustain his connection to home through the recruitment of whomever impresses enough to join the cast on stage.

“I insisted on that; to go where I was made,” Fagan told The Gleaner.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange in discussion with dancers who recently auditioned for roles in Disney’s ‘The Lion King’.

Naming other revered dancers like Rex Nettleford and Ivy Baxter, Fagan suggests that his experience on the island nourished his creative skills. “All those people nourished me. I learned a lot from them. Jamaica is my blood, my veins and soul. I understand the rhythms – the subtle difference from the Africans. I studied modern dance with the best. It’s a rich hue – where my work comes from,” he said.

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Garth Fagan’s first dance company, Bottom of the Bucket Dance Theatre, gave its first public performance in November 1970 in Buffalo, New York. In September 1990, his second, Garth Fagan Dance, officially opened its doors. It remains wide open to this day.

Among Garth Fagan Dance’s pivotal moments were in 1990, when New York Times critic Jennifer Dunning proclaimed the company’s Easter Freeway Processional (1983, scored by Philip Glass) “a modern-dance classic”. Fagan himself received a Bessie Award that same year for “an extraordinary sustained achievement in building a new dance language born of African, Caribbean, and contemporary vocabularies, a physical whirlwind of mind and body”.

50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

Come 2020, the current company and alumni will perform at various locations around the world to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Fagan, however, lamented that Jamaica is not on the list, but he is determined to change that. “I insist we perform in Jamaica,” he said.

A picture of Rex Nettleford is flashed across the screen as the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble performs a piece at Remembering Rex, held recently at the Little Theatre in Kingston. Photo By: Shorn Hector

If Fagan’s insistence remains as powerful as it has proven in the past, there is more than a glimmer of hope that the desire for Garth Fagan Dance to include Jamaica in their golden anniversary celebrations will result in improvements in performance art infrastructure.

Last August, the theatrical performance artists and their audience were sent into a tizzy when prima ballerina Misty Copeland came to Jamaica to perform. Held at The Little Theatre, the event was sold out in no time. However, infrastructural limitations ultimately scaled down the event. Michele Rollins, patron of Copeland’s Jamaican presentation, was quoted as saying, “I sit here thinking, a floor was all that stopped us from being at the arena. We need to fix those things because there’s so much talent here.”

BROADWAY

The Lion King on Broadway opened in November 1997. The following June, Fagan received the coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Choreography. Proof beyond the engraved award that Fagan’s choreography was indeed outstanding, lies in the fact that over two decades later, the production is still around.

“It’s quality. [The Lion King] will always gain audience. It has made more money than any production in theatre, in history,” Fagan shared.

A seasoned professional, the choreographer noted that his dance moves where designed to fit with the gargantuan vision of the director and the unquestioning support of the technical crew.

He elaborated, “Different cultures, languages and races have enjoyed it, and stamped and cheered – not only because of my work. Julie Taymor, the director, is sensational.” He recalled reviewing preliminary sketches of the production. “I thought, this woman is possessed … in a good way by The Lion King. All my colleagues – costumes, lighting, all of us – we worked feverishly way into the night, every night, until we got it right.”

Perhaps because the opportunity to demonstrate their skills do not pervade in the Caribbean space, Fagan has observed that those who do make it past the audition phase share a similarity beyond they’re region. “One thing we know is discipline. I always learnt that discipline is freedom.”

Though he hasn’t visited in a few years (the last visit being about four years ago to lay a family member to rest), Fagan is confident the production can find more Jamaicans to add to the iconic cast. “I’m not up to speed, but there is big talent [in Jamaica]. Everything should be fine.”

By: Kimberley Small

Original Article Found Here

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[ndtcjamaica]

The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC) once again captivated audiences with its season of dance, which opened to widespread acclaim and concluded on August 11.

[caribeandthebooks]

Caribe's Physical TBR

This is the most random TBR List but bear with me skskskskks. If anything this is proof that I read any and everything.

Let's begin! Links to books are below the images.

Cain's Jawbone by E. Powys Mathers received as a gift.

Spark Joy by Marie Kondo got this in a subscription box.

How to Beat Anyone at Chess by Ethan Moore got this with a chess board in a subscription lol.

The Original Folk & Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm received as a gift.

Dance Jamaica: Renewal and Continuity The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica 1962-2008 by Rex Nettleford received as a gift.

The Apocrypha - King James Version received as gift to read after a full bible read through.

[ghanagist]

Rastafarians in Ghana urged to provide leadership in African liberation

Rastafarians in Ghana urged to provide leadership in African liberation

The Rastafari Council of Ghana has called on the South African government to take urgent steps to address the issue of xenophobia since that runs against all the efforts by black people globally to end apartheid. The Council has also called on western countries to pay reparations to African and Carribean countries for the atrocities afflicted by slavery on peoples of African descent. These calls…

[sexypinkon]

Rex Nettleford Conference

[sherii-baby]

The Rex Nettleford Hall Committee presents its annual showcase of Rexan Royalty. *MISS REX 2017*👑 This Sunday! Presold: $500 Gate: $700 Get your tickets now! #MissRex2017👑

[khalilhumam]

Jamaica’s Brian Heap, Caribbean regional winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, talks storytelling

Register at https://mignation.com The Only Social Network for Migrants. #Immigration, #Migration, #Mignation ---

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/jamaicas-brian-heap-caribbean-regional-winner-of-the-2020-commonwealth-short-story-prize-talks-storytelling/

Jamaica’s Brian Heap, Caribbean regional winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, talks storytelling

Storytelling, “the greatest achievement of human beings”; Part 2 of 2

Brian S. Heap, Caribbean regional winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Screenshot taken from the Commonwealth Writers YouTube video “#CWprize 2020 Shortlist”.

This is the second instalment of a two-part interview. Read Part 1, here. In the Commonwealth Writers video he recorded after learning that his story, “Mafootoo”, had been shortlisted for the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Brian Heap called storytelling “the greatest achievement of human beings”. As a retired educator and former head of the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus in Kingston, Jamaica, Heap has had a close relationship with storytelling for most of his life: telling them himself, learning about the stories of others, and being a worthy custodian of those narratives. He has also directed 15 of Jamaica’s annual pantomimes, written several books, conference papers and articles, and was honoured with the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica in 2002. After his selection as the Caribbean regional winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story prize, we chatted via email about his story, “Mafootoo”, storytelling in general, and what the win means to him.

Brian S. Heap, Caribbean Regional Winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Photo courtesy Heap, used with permission.

EL: You are very well known as a leading light in Jamaican drama. Is this your first venture into writing prose?

BH: I did do some prose writing many years ago, but I seem to remember that it wasn’t very well received at the time, or so I felt. I sort of convinced myself that I was better at drama and that I should stick to that particular genre. Plus, I was really fortunate to have the University of the West Indies supporting me in getting productions onto the stage. Otherwise, I think drama would have been an overwhelming challenge.

EL: What are the differences between telling a tale through drama or through a short story?

BH: The difference is really between ‘showing’ and ‘telling.’ In drama, I get to work with wonderful shapeshifters called actors who bring the characters to life on stage in all their many dimensions. Good actors will take you into the deep psychological recesses of a character and show that to the audience. The audience can see the relationships between characters unfold in time and space in front of them and respond accordingly. The audience is ‘reading’ a complex semiotic field of spoken word, gesture, body language, lighting, silence, movement, proxemics and stillness. Largely because of the development of film and television, modern audiences have become very sophisticated and adept at interpreting nuances in the dramatic performance. Telling a story via the symbolic process of writing it down depends even more heavily on the skills of your audience for its interpretation. I often say that being able to read doesn’t necessarily make somebody a reader. A lot of functionally literate people don’t have the patience to get through a story, much less a novel. Yet, other people will get totally lost in reading a book. I laughed at one comment about ‘Mafootoo’ where the reader said she devoured it ‘in one gulp.’

EL: Evadne, your protagonist, is a straight-speaking, no-nonsense woman. Have you ever met an Evadne in real life?

BH: I have met several no-nonsense women like Evadne; not all of them were Jamaican, though many were. I’m sure the same is true for you. Many readers of the story have commented that they know Evadne well, so I’m really encouraged by that kind of response.

EL: What future projects do you have in mind?

BH: There may be a theatre festival later in the year, but it will probably have to go virtual since it is unlikely that theatres will reopen any time soon, due to COVID-19. I am working on a couple of other short stories which are slowly coming together. I think I’m going to have to pick up the pace if I want to put together a collection!

EL: What is the importance of humour in storytelling?

BH: The Jamaican practice of ‘tekkin’ serious t’ing, mek joke’ [taking serious things and making jokes of them] is both inspired and inspiring — so, at what should be a tragic moment in the story, a phrase like ‘plug him out’ makes you want to laugh, all the more so because it is given an earnestly straight-faced delivery. Jamaican language tends to have that effect because it is designed to subvert the English language. I love its frequent juxtaposition of archaic English words and African expressions and syntax, which can be used to sometimes devastating effect. That is not to say that Jamaican language cannot be tender or poetic, which it obviously can, but its wry comic impact can enrich a story immensely. A little humour can lighten the writer’s hand.

EL: What does the win mean to you?

BH: Making it to the shortlist of 20 writers from a field of 5,107 entries was already more than I could have imagined. To have actually won the Caribbean Regional Award left me in total shock. Winning the overall award would probably be, in the words of Rex Nettleford, “Gilding the anthurium.”

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[michaelseanharris]

Mike's Moment Of... Culture: Dance EP 006

This week my guest is Marlon Simms, Artistic Director of the NDTC Jamaica and Dean of The School of Dance. We have an engaging convo about his journey as a dancer and the dance scene at present.

Marlon Simms is the Dean of the School of Dance at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA). He completed a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of the West Indies (UWI), a post graduate diploma in Education at the University of Technology (UTECH) and a Master of Fine Arts in Choreographic Theory and Practice from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. He has been in the teaching profession for over twenty years and has facilitated workshops and classes in dance, choreography and dance education in many parts of the Caribbean and North America. He has also choreographed dance works in Jamaica and overseas for major dance companies, schools, studios and community groups and shares him time generously with the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) as the Artistic Director, a post he has held since 2018. At the NDTC, apart from executing his usual administrative duties, he heads the staging of their annual productions, choreographs, teaches, co-produces the annual NDTC Journal and sustains the NDTC repertoire and style as developed by the late Prof. Rex Nettleford. He firmly believes in the transformative power of the arts and works tirelessly to empower the next generation of artists using his mantra "excellence can be achieved if you are driven by passion and purpose”. 

You can find Marlon on Facebook, IG, Twitter and Tumblr @marlondsimms

Check out this episode!