News Releases

UWI DCFA hosts dance workshop on local and diasporic styles for secondary school students

For Release Upon Receipt - March 19, 2024

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, March 19, 2024 – The Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) Dance Unit at The UWI St Augustine campus will be hosting a comprehensive 10-day Secondary School Dance Workshop, featuring a blend of local and regional dance instruction.  

 Ms. Deboleena Paul, Coordinator and Lecturer at the Dance Unit, emphasised that diverse dance forms such as bélé, limbo, bongo, quadrille, kolattam, and nation dance will be explored, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the region. 

 While the primary target audience comprises secondary school students in forms three to five, applicants outside this age range are also welcome. 

 “This workshop's mission is to reconnect youths with their local and diasporic cultures through dance, countering prevailing trends dominated by pop or Hollywood styles,” explained Ms. Paul. 

 Esteemed instructors specialising in various dance styles will provide comprehensive training, encompassing theoretical understanding, practical skills, and performance techniques to uphold authenticity. Notably, the workshop boasts the involvement of Bélé Queen and President of the National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Emelda Lynch-Griffith, among its instructors. 

 Ms. Paul expressed enthusiasm about this collaboration, highlighting the expertise and influence Lynch-Griffith brings to the programme. 

 The workshop will be divided into two parts, with a break scheduled for the Easter weekend. It will commence on March 23rd and conclude on April 5th, 2024, with a break from March 29th to April 1st. There will be a showcase to celebrate the participants' achievements. Each day, sessions will run from 10 am to noon, allowing ample time for engagement and practice. 

 To facilitate broad participation, the registration fee for the entire workshop and showcase is set at $60TTD.  

 When asked about the workshop's target audience, Ms. Paul said, "The DCFA offers a Dance and Education Certificate programme for students fresh out of secondary school and available upon the completion of the CSEC examinations. This programme is a gateway to the Dance degree programme offered through the DCFA. The workshop can be considered as a precursor to the certificate programme.” 

 The Secondary School Dance Workshop, she added, epitomises the DCFA's dedication to fostering cultural pride, artistic excellence, and educational opportunities within the community, ensuring a vibrant and inclusive platform for the next generation of dancers to flourish. 

 For more information on the workshop, visit the DCFA’s Facebook page at facebook.com/UWI.DCFA/ or contact Maria at 662 2002 extension 85458.  

 END

 

Folk performers at a DCFA Dance Unit event.

 About the Department of Creative and Festival Arts 

 The DCFA is a department in the Faculty of Humanities and Education headquartered at Cheeseman Avenue in St. Augustine. The original Creative Arts Centre was established in 1986 through the initiatives of the late Dr Pat Ismond, then Head of Literatures in English. In 2006, the centre became a department and has grown to offer programmes in Carnival Studies, Dance, Musical Arts, Theatre Arts, and Visual Arts. The DCFA educates students in the creative arts at the highest level of academic, professional, and technical accreditation available through The University of the West Indies. For more information on the DCFA, visit sta.uwi.edu/fhe/dcfa/.  

 About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 75 years.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and the wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu   

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