WHAT'S ON

 

It was a weekend of pure talents, live dance and spectacular performance when the Shiva School of Dance in collaboration with the “Innocence Project” under the Ministry of Social Transformation presents “the way you love me” featuring all types of music and dancing through the eras, choreographed to depict the serious issues of child abuse in all its form.

The first three of the six nights which wrapped this weekend at the University of the West Indies (U.W.I), Open Campus, could easily be compared to the Pro/Am on Dancing with the Stars. The finale continues next weekend for three nights – the 28th and 29th for adults and the 30th for children and family.
 

Drum playing, body twirling, and soul swinging filled the atmosphere as performers age in range from as young as 3 years old to 70 years entertained audience. Many entertainers brought smiles, charm, and perfection including perfectly executed moves to the stage including the artistic director and choreographer Tavia Hunte.
 

The adult productions on Friday and Saturday nights (21st, 22nd) began, at 8 pm sharp with a monologue performed by Kayla Blucher and kept the audience glued to their seats with other renditions of performances entitled They Don’t Care. The Decision, Hope, Colours of Love, Teenage Crush, My Moment, Breathless, Bruises, Daddy Don’t, Scars, One and Only, Boots, In the Middle, Misty Blue, Love a Come Dung, Seasons of Love (Monologue in Dance), Fire and Ice, Meinn Herr, cell Block Tango, Mirror, Drumology and  Folk Fever.

From the Dancing Divas to the Tiny Tots on Sunday (June 23rd), who grooved with in-sync moves, and props such as Folk Playtime, Faluma, Butterfly, Still I Rise, the show offered something for everyone.
 

For the dance-loving enthusiasts, the evening provided a palate of styles including, hip-hop, reggae and ballet. One set had the crowd hand-clapping and laughing with the Dancing Divas/Company Dancers, a group of senior women dancers, who strutted their stuff, dancing to “Love A Come Dung”. The acts were unique and interpretive as the group drives home through the art form the harsh reality of child abuse.
 

“‘The way you love me’, seeks to reach the core of the matter and utilizes the art of dance to make a strong statement that we must all play a role in ridding our society of this demon. Through our production we are in no way seeking to judge or blame, but rather to educate and emphasize that we should come together to influence positive change in our environment,” Hunte said.
 

Meantime, Senator Malaka Parker Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Social Transformation said “the production was a masterpiece. It captured the full spectrum of human emotions around the issues of love & abuse. There was joy, laughter, fear, anger, confusion retaliation and cries for help. It is a powerful, creative,  daring advocacy via dance. We thank the Shiva’s School of Dance for identifying with the Innocence Project.”
 

The entire cast performance throughout the weekend brought the crowd to a roaring applause.

One member of the audience, a second-timer to the event, was very pleased with the overall performance, “There was a lot of talent, really good talent. It’s just amazing, and it was very professionally done,” she said. “It touches upon the human spirit. We need to have more things like this. We don’t have that (live performances). For us to be able to showcase our talent here is an amazing opportunity.”