 “There is nothing like a little dance,” says Mr. Andre Largen, Adjunct Lecturer in Dance at the Department of Festival and Creative Arts (DCFA) of the St. Augustine Campus. “I don’t know what a little dance is; dance requires work, effort and practice.”
Mr. Largen was speaking on the importance of encouraging the next generation of dancers to pursue their dreams by supporting their performances. On April 21-22, DCFA’s Dance Unit hosted one of the most consistent student dance events in Trinidad and Tobago precisely for that purpose: Sole to Sole.
This year’s Sole to Sole took place off campus at the Little Carib Theatre, the historic headquarters of West Indian folk dance.
“Attendees (saw) great performances from our student dancers as well as the work of our budding young choreographers,” said Largen, who is also the Artistic Director of the Little Carib Theatre Dance Company.
He spoke about the drive of the students and the need to keep dance alive:
“They are here because dance is their passion. And as long as you have a passion for something you will do it well. We have students that are actually going on to look for scholarships to pursue dance. This is why we must support them. The dance community in Trinidad and Tobago is quite small. A lot of people still think dance is an extra-curricular activity. Dance can be a career.”
Sole to Sole has grown from a showcase of the Dance Unit’s certificate students to include Bachelor of Arts students and members of the DCFA’s Festival Dance Ensemble. Finalists from the Secondary Schools Dance Festival also perform at the event. The dancers perform a mix of student and lecturer choreography.
Sole to Sole took place on April 21-22 at the Little Carib Theatre. For more information contact maria.cruikshank@sta.uwi.edu. |
