It was Barbados in dance but it looked more like the poetic story of a few gifted beings unfolding on the stage at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on Tuesday night, a beautiful and profound tale.
They floated, flew, bawled and danced like something was ending in the world they had created on the NCC stage while the audience stared in awe and silence. There were moments so absorbing that people sat quietly forgetting to applaud- eyes fixed on the dancers as they exited the stage- then cheers erupted.
There was a strange quiet in the NCC during the production, a quiet that had disappeared from the venue for sometime now giving way to obscene conduct that continues to go unchecked. It felt like the old days of the NCC.
In the opening dance Barbados’ Gene Carson emerged wrapped and hidden in a piece of cloth. He coiled and moved across the stage still wrapped in the cloth for most of the performance moving beautifully to the soft music. When he finally burst out of the cloth he is in body paint and appears dazed. As if unshackled from a long period of captivity he dances with uninhibited freedom and incredibly, all of it seemed effortless. The piece which Carson choreographed was titled, ‘Metamorphosis’ and he beautifully executed.
The production then flowed into a series of dances but immediately followed with Barbadian John Hunte’s choreography of ‘Living Water’. The dance featured a bevy of female dancers who floated across the stage like water lilies in a supple, moving performance. Every feeling they had to project was so visible on their faces it was amazing to watch.
But it was Barbadian dancer Michael Taitt who exploded on stage in two spellbinding dances. He appeared in two solo pieces, the first titled, ‘Keeps me sane’ which Sophia Mounter of Barbados choreographed, and another, ‘Change’ which she also choreographed.
There is no question that Taitt can dance but he has taken it to the level where anyone watching him feels compelled to not only applaud but empathise with his character on stage. He makes you feel what he is feeling and on Tuesday night, he was happy, sad, free, imprisoned, dead and alive.
After his performance of ‘Changes’ the audience sat quietly staring then waited until he took a bow. Then it was rapture as the NCC erupted into continuous applause. Taitt was off the stage and people were still screaming. Then things got quiet only to start up again, people obviously stunned at what they saw.
Taitt’s style is more of an acrobatic one so he moves around the stage doing mind boggling things and still, dancing beautifully. His performances were the highlights of the night.
Throughout the production Barbados offered up a mix of contemporary and traditional African dances. There was one performance by dancer, Kharma Philips titled, ‘Perfect man’ which was a crowd favourite.
What makes the perfect man? Philips did look perfect as he moved his hips on stage and grooved to a soft rhythm. Women certainly enjoyed him and there were a few smiles from him during the performance which said that he knew just how much.
‘Landship revisited’ wrapped up the production and of all the performances it had a more dramatic feel. The dancers were shackled, whipped, and made to slave tirelessly at the hands of a ruthless taskmaster in a riveting depiction of the African slave trade.
There were also glimpses of the indigenous people that were present in the Caribbean at the time. It was a well choreographed piece by Barbadian Ian Douglas, and a fitting end to a fantastic show.
Barbadian drummers, who were also part of the show, rocked the house with their feverish rhythms during two performances of the night. The last one, ‘4 short meals and a cook-up’ sure did taste good.
Initially the long queue outside the NCC before the production started had some people second guessing their decision to show up. Some even commented that it felt like the regular Bajan treatment to Guyanese while others pointed fingers at poor organizing skills at the NCC.
But in the end the wait was worth it. Barbados delivered and Guyanese showed their appreciation.
