Experience

“You are 7. You sit among a crowd of 1000’s of Barbadians. The lights dim and for the next hour, you are amazed beyond belief by some of Bim’s best dance talent. Instantly you know that you want dance to be a part of your life.”

This was the feeling I experienced watching my first NIFCA Gala. Watching people so happy in an art form kindled my love for its existence. Dance had become a part of my life through church. It was the hunger to dance, that led me to express my love for God through this form. Throughout the years I developed a love for it and taking it seriously I started to invest in my growth. I was refused dance classes many times as a child for reasons I cannot remember. What I do remember, was attending various summer camps and free workshops which I greatly enjoyed and which helped me to grow. It was programs like these which played a very important role in my life. Being unable to attend routine dance school, I soaked up as much as I could, to practice in their absence. BDP 2016 was my first year experiencing the Dance Project and I likened it unto no other. It was so much more. There was a certain level of professionalism and encouragement unlike anything I have experienced. Imagine being fed gas station popsicles all your life and then one day someone treats you to a Sundae. The gas station popsicles were good but now you have experienced something so much better, it’s rather hard to look back. My first experience was AWESOMEEE to say the least. I learned so much and met many wonderful people; there is no question about whether I wish to return.  I only started to dance professionally two years ago at the Louise Woodvine Dance Academy. Although I enjoyed class thoroughly, I realized many a basic technique I lacked. I am also a part of the New Dimensions Dance Ministries and I current dance at Pearl’s Dance Academy. Amidst retracing baby steps, I am working to grow and develop more. Although I’m not sure of dance as my principle career, it has taught me too much for it not to play a vital role in my life. I intend to continue studying and growing so that one day, I am that dancer on the stage inspiring another 6 or 7 year old.             -Alitha 

Confident

 From a young age, dance has always been a part of my life. I began my dance journey at Dance Strides Barbados and as I continued to dance, I had the privilege of the dancing with the NCF Ensemble and of course, The Barbados Dance Project (BDP). Dance has always been something that I have always done and I would not have it any other way. Dance allows you to find new ways to express yourself and reach new heights and when you do, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. Dance has made me more confident and disciplined and the lessons you learn in the studio are lessons that will carry you through life. 

BDP has really pushed me as a dancer and forced me to reach higher. The first year I did BDP was in 2015 and it was torturous and quite difficult and I admit that it was hard adjusting to such a rigorous form of training, but I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. Our teachers at BDP Jamal, Mia, Chanel and Nigel definitely motivated me and they put their heart and soul into bringing out the best in everyone. Being in that environment after a few days definitely made me a better dancer. Even after the intensive, I challenged myself to retain all that I learnt at Barbados Dance Project and I saw a lot of growth in myself over the year. Hard work will always be recognized. 

What I particularly enjoyed this year, was seeing three generations of BDP on stage during the finale of our show. That moment felt pretty special to me and it’s just great to see how far this project has come and how we can take this into future. I truly believe that all participants of BDP are going to continue to grow stronger as we continue this legacy. 

Since BDP ended in the summer, I am currently in the final year of completing my Bachelors in Dance & Theatre at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination and I plan to continue my studies in the Musical Theatre. 

Thanks to BDP, I was given the opportunity to participate in the NIFCA Dance Competition this year, performing a duet which was choreographed by founder of BDP, Jamal Callender. This has been my first experience in NIFCA and I have been enjoying it so far and very excited to see where it takes me. 

Concerning arts being supported by the government/community, I think we first of all need to stop seeing the arts as just fun and games and realize that many careers can come out of this field of study. We definitely need more scholarships available to students who want to study the arts, whether it be here in Barbados or abroad. Barbados has a lot of talented artists whether it be dancers, actors, musicians, you name it, but the average student can’t afford what they need to achieve their dreams, and so I think a lot more should be done to help young aspiring artists in Barbados.                                                                           -Makeda Lowe

Aspiration

Hi my name is Liam Woodvine. I currently dance at the Louise Woodvine Dance Academy five days a week and I have taken part in BDP for three years. Dance has impacted me on so many levels. From relieving the stress of school to helping me overcome my shyness, dance has made me the person I am today. BDP has contributed to this impact greatly. It has challenged me to meet Jamal and his teams high standards and has given me confidence in my dancing. My aspiration for the near future is to challenge myself to become better in all of the things that I do, especially dance. I would also like to see in the near future more investment in facilities for dance not only from the government, but the private sector as well.

Team

Who knew that something as small as dancing could turn into such a big part of my life? I've been dancing from the age of three and by the age four i was begging my mother to sign me up for another class. Little did i know that twelve years down the road, I would be so in love with the art that I would decide to take it a step further and make this love of mine into a career. This summer I got the pleasure of partaking in the Barbados Dance Project; and can I just say I'm super glad that I did! BDP was one of the best dance experiences; maybe even one of the best experiences I have ever had in life. Not only did I make new friends and get to share and experience the passion of dance with other dancers; but, I got to feel like I was part of a team, while doing what I loved. The experience in itself made me fall even more in love with dance. I'm eighteen years old now and I'm in my last year in the Barbados Community College dance programme and I'm ready to take another step and further my studies in dance and go and grow from there. - Shakayla Estwick

Opportunity

Dance is everything to me.  At two years old I told my mother I was going to be a ballerina and I’ve never looked back.  There is something so inexplicably gratifying about the freedom of movement in space and time.  The fragility and perishability of the art form is what makes dance so satisfying to not only do, but to watch as well.  It is constantly evolving and there is no room to get complacent. 

Dance challenges me physically, emotionally, artistically every time I walk into a class or rehearsal.  The Barbados Dance Project has given me the opportunity to continue to grow as an artist here in Barbados after moving from New York.  I’m at a very different point in my life than most of the other company members, but I think we all have similar hopes for where this could be in five years. 

I am so honored to have the opportunity to perform in BDP’s first international touring invitation and my dreams for this company are to one day have a season of dance in Barbados as well as an international touring schedule.  

                                                                                                 -Stefanie Takei-Taylor

Impact

 Dance has been a part of my life for as long as i can remember.I started ballet and the Louise Woodvine Dance Academy at the age of 5. At the time dance to me was just something pretty and I can still remember trying to copy the girls on the American Dance Theatre posters and wishing I could be half as graceful or majestic.

 Over time, dance had become something to keep me busy and immersing myself in the art was becoming more and more difficult. Everywhere in society, dance is underestimated especially in Barbados because of the lack of opportunities available to live a “comfortable “ lifestyle.

Dance has had such a huge impact on my life. It has become a form of communication, expression and of release. Only after I had decided to attend school in Canada in 2015 did I realize that dance is bigger than all of us. The limitless possibilities are what allow us to create and collaborate things that we could never imagine and to even dive into the mind of the choreographer and know that what we’re portraying is art.

Despite all of this, following movement over mind is a hard process. This is where Barbados Dance Project helped me a lot. Meeting a community of so many different people helped me to get out of my mind and comfort zone. I think for me, rather than seeing posters capturing an image I got to watch people that could inspire me to be a lot stronger than I was before. This is what I want the people of Barbados to see, that dance can build you up and allow you to communicate with the audience in a way words never could because I think that allowing yourself to be vulnerable is the greatest strength you could ever have.

                                                                           -Adia Parris

Hope

Hello! My name is Jon-Mykul. I have been dancing since 2014 and still going.I’m currently doing my third year of training with “Operation Triple Threat: Sing, Dance, Act!” (OTT), and I am also preparing for auditions for conservatory programs in Musical Theatre, to become a Musical Theatre performer.

It was never my forte, but dance has taught me about perseverance. No matter how difficult the step was, or how exhausted I got, there was always a way to improve and do more. Every failure was stepping stone. When it did all come together, I felt empowered that I could do anything with enough practice. That’s an attitude I carried into all things I do now. 

Barbados Dance Project has shown me this and more. Even when the exercises got difficult and I didn’t meet the standard, I kept trying and I wanted to keep trying. Looking back, I would love to do it all over again. BDP helped to make the impossible feel less impossible, and I might even say, doable! Eventually I want to call dance one of my fortes, thanks to BDP.  

My hope is that the arts get more support. Barbados always had a good amount of people who have potential, but we don’t do our best for those that want to do it professionally. Many young people want to leave this country, because everything looks so grim. Schools are pushing STEM courses and shutting down creative outlets for students. As someone who did sciences in school, not having performing arts available as a subject is not a wise move. The arts teach discipline, time management, improves self confidence, and can enrich your life. All of which are essential.

So to people who believe that there isn’t much work involved in the arts,

Newsflash, there’s ‘nuff’ work. We train for hours and hours. See those live shows you all like to watch by Louise Woodvine, BDP, Praise Academy, OTT, other performance groups, and performances at NIFCA, all of that takes dedication. We are rehearsing those pieces probably 2-5 days a week for weeks on end. That excludes any physical conditioning or general class we take to get ourselves ready. And the really professional performers actively practice even when they aren’t in rehearsal. 

Point is, like any professional, we aren’t just liming. We take our craft seriously. Please support that. Support us by coming to our shows, giving money to the sponsor sheets. If they are reading a book on performing, or they are practicing, or they say they want to be a performer, encourage them to do it. We as a community need to start supporting each other instead of crying each other down.

Speaking of support, there needs to be a union for artists. A functional one. Overseas countries have unions for artists, other professions in Barbados have unions for them, why not one for the arts? One that can support us when we do not get paid for paid work, one that guarantees we get paid for productions that are union sanctioned. We are underpaid or not often paid for we do in Barbados in 2016. You can’t walk into a restaurant, eat their food, tell the waiter “I’ll pay you sometime.” and then walk out.

Now I’m not saying that every employer does this. But if you are one of those employers or know someone that is, just know that you are playing with people’s lives and income. Create outlets and opportunities that can pay artists. 

To the people that don’t use their craft, thinking are only for people who ‘have talent’ or ‘from overseas’, and that they ‘can’t do that’, 

You can.

I don’t understand why this is a sentiment, especially teens and young adults. I wish the youth would use their creative energies more and not be ashamed to do so. Performing Arts are for everyone, and Barbados is filled with so much talented people! If you want to be an great athlete, you have to train. If you want to be a great doctor, you have to learn. If you want to be a great something, you have to actively learn and be motivated. No one is born a great something. They grow into it. 

On the other hand, don’t settle for ‘just enough’. People will take you seriously if you take yourself seriously. Famous performers take themselves seriously, you should too. Learn about international techniques and standards for practice. Watch interviews, go to workshops, be active in your growth. Expand your mind. Let’s raise the standards and stand out.

If you do performing arts for a hobby and have other career goals, fair enough. Nothing wrong with that, be you. But if you have a dream to have a professional career in the arts, even just a little bit, then don’t be afraid to say, “I’m going to be a dancer/singer/performer!” and start preparing like anyone else for their career field. And this isn’t just for the arts. This is for whatever you plan to do in life. Enjoy your work and strive for excellence.

If you are already doing this, you are amazing and I hope you keep growing. 

All said and done, I love my island. I want nothing but the best for the Barbadian society moving forward. My hope is that Barbados’ 50th anniversary is used for celebration and critical reflection. Right now, the country is plagued with fundamental problems, not just concerning performing arts. We can celebrate our growth, but we need think about ways to make a better Barbados for the youth of today to inherit and actually want. And not just think to do better, DO BETTER. 

Thank you Jamal for highlighting me, and I wish Bim, and all the other Bajans here and away, all the best for the big 50. Here’s to another 50 years.

Mantra

Being one of the original members of the Barbados Dance Project family as well as one of the first participants in Jamal’s earlier workshops I can say from experience that the work he is doing in Barbados is life changing for any artist who has the opportunity to train under his tutelage. As a professional dancer and choreographer who has trained in many places around the world I know how costly a dance intensive of this caliber can actually be, so to have it TUITION FREE right here at home is a blessing. 

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Jamal more over the years as I have worked with him, and becoming part of the administration of the Barbados Dance Project I have witnessed the amount of blood, sweat and tears he puts into this project. Better yet, I have the honor of being able to look up to him and call him my mentor. 

His passion for arts education is very apparent and the effect he has on each BDP member stays with them throughout the year until the next summer when we all come together again. 

“ Do not allow yourself to be mediocre, always be ready, push yourself way past what you think is possible, work together as a team”, are just some of the messages that are instilled in the participants as they train together during the summer. These messages then stay with them year round as they continue their artistic journeys after BDP is over. 

I can say that I personally keep Jamal’s mantra of “mediocrity is a sin” at heart whenever I am dancing, choreographing or teaching. This mantra was especially repeated over the past year as I trained in London and made my debut performance as an internationally touring solo artist in Japan. It is still repeated as I go on to teach, perform, choreograph and collaborate with different artists all over the world. 

To have someone to look up to as inspiring as Jamal Callender is not something I take for granted. To be able to have a mentor who has had the experiences he has acquired up to this point and who makes himself available to help guide you through your artistic journey is a true blessing. A blessing I hope to pass down to my own students as I continue to work, grow and gather new experiences. Jamal is truly an inspiring artist, what he does changes lives. I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for me and for the Barbados dance community.

We must all make sure we stick together to keep the Barbados Dance Project going! This opportunity to train and work with professional artists (tuition free) must stay available for the upcoming Bajan artists. The connections that are being created as well as the experiences being had will help shape and progress our artistic community into something really amazing.

Support BDP!

Let’s help keep this going!

-Courtenay Thorne.

Courtenay performing in Japan July, 2016

 Courtenay in Trinidad performing in the Coco Dance Festival Oct, 2016

Courtenay (left) in BDP dance showcase Aug, 2015