SOME DANCERS TOLD stories, others attempted to heal wounds, remove scars, create laughter or simply put a smile on someone’s face as they danced their way through the Madame Ifill Dance Showcase last Wednesday night at Frank Collymore Hall.
Dancers placed their best foot forward as they sought to win the Madame Ifill Award For Dance which will be presented to “the individual or group capable of combining mind, melody and movement . . . to make magic”, components which were evident in all of the seventeen dance pieces.
The dancers of the group Soul gave the audience an insight as to how Species behave when they interact with each other, especially in a time of disagreement. With make-up and music to match the mood, the two “species” leapt on and off each other, twisted and rolled, making it evident that they were having difficulty coming to an understanding about something. However, in the end one of them left the stage as the other lay motionless, as though defeated.
The juniors of Praise and Academy told their story in a piece called I Remember When.
In a church setting, the younger generation and the older generation had a dance-off to showcase holistic dance moves “of then and of now”.
Dancers of the Israel Lovell Foundation painted a clear picture of slavery, religion, and immigration when they danced their way through Wa Ajo [Our Journey]. Throughout the presentation the dancers were dressed, moved and even sang songs to give a vivid image of whatever era they were depicting.
Then Pearl Dance Group made the members of the audience clap and even gasp when they depicted the evident beauty which prevails When Colours Come To Life.
It was a delight to watch the little children of Haynesville Youth Club participate in Game-Sound-Dance. Moving to the sound of drums and the help of back-up singers, the children encouraged members of the audience to reflect on historical playground games.
Singing the catchy lyrics themselves and utilising the space available to them, they jumped, hopped, skated, and spun to games such as hide and seek, hopscotch and Four White Horses, among others. It was a memorable moment when they went down, stopped and came back up as they did their thing for Little Sally Walker.
An emotional chord was struck in many when Praise Academy presented Rain Of Hope. The dancers, accompanied by images on a screen and other props, brought back memories of a devastated Haiti which was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January this year. The expression on the faces of the dancers showed the pain and sorrow residents of that nation continue to face every day. (AH)
