News Releases

UWI Group shines at World Dance Alliance Assembly

For Release Upon Receipt - June 25, 2009

St. Augustine


The Festival Dance Ensemble put on a show at the World Dance Alliance Americas General Assembly held last month. This group, born from the Department of Creative and Festival Arts Dance Alumni of The University of the West Indies (UWI), performed at the assembly held at University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA from the 28th to 31st May. The group performed two pieces “Caribbean Praise” and “The Hunt”, which were part of the ‘Celebrating Dance’ showcase concert held in January 2009 at the Learning Resource Centre, UWI, St. Augustine.

Themed “What Moves Us”, the highlight of this event was the feature address delivered by UWI Vice Chancellor Emeritus Professor Rex Nettleford. This cultural icon offered some profound words on dance, emphasising its root in the traditions of Caribbean people. Nettleford also stressed the need for the training for dancers to be more textured, as they continue to reinvent themselves through the merging of the mind, body and soul.

The World Dance Alliance is a member driven organisation committed to providing information, advocacy and communication for dance organisations and individuals. The Alliance serves as a primary voice for dance and dancers throughout the world and encourages the exchange of ideas and the awareness of dance in all its many forms. Founded in the Asia/Pacific region in 1990, the alliance soon expanded to include The Americas in 1993 and Europe in 1997.At this year’s assembly, the dancers participated in Modern Dance workshops and observed three evenings of performances from various companies from around the world.

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ABOUT UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

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