A new dance company birthed its first production at the Theatre Guild on April 23. ‘This is Guyana’, staged by the Free Souls Dance Theatre Company under the direction of Kijana Lewis, brought new energy to the Guyanese dance landscape. Guyana has not seen such a quality dance production in a long time and Free Souls’ ‘This is Guyana’ was quite refreshing.
The plot, with its four segments gave great insight into the true story of Guyana, shedding light on its political situation, its culture, its diversity, its joy and its struggles. The first segment was titled after the production itself and began with an Adam and Eve piece which depicted the birth of Guyana. This earthy and in some parts sensual duet set the scene for the rest of the production. The segment continued with pieces that displayed the electing of a new president, patriotism, the conflict of an interracial romance and eventually unity. The segment ended with a playful performance to Gavin Mendonca’s rendition of the
