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NDTC to perform in South Florida from October 1-3

Published:Thursday | September 22, 2022 | 12:10 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer
Joelle Flimn in Reneé McDonald’s ‘Unbroken’ (2022) during a National Dance Theatre Company gala performance at the Little Theatre earlier this year.
Joelle Flimn in Reneé McDonald’s ‘Unbroken’ (2022) during a National Dance Theatre Company gala performance at the Little Theatre earlier this year.

The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC), which is celebrating 60 years this year, will perform over three days in South Florida from October 1 to 3.

The NDTC will have its first performance at the Miami-Dade Cultural Center on October 1. From there the company will move to the Miramar Cultural Center for a performance on October 2. They will also give a free performance at the same location on October 3 for schoolchildren.

The NDTC is being hosted by the Louise Bennett-Coverley Heritage Council in conjunction with the Jamaican Consulate in Miami.

They last performed in Florida in 2010.

The NDTC has performed to critical acclaim in the international arena in regions such as the Caribbean, North, Central and South America and Europe. Their wide-ranging repertoire reflects the creative imagination and cultural experiences of Jamaica and the Caribbean through the lens of choreographers hailing from Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, Barbados and the United States.

President of the Heritage Council Colin Smith said that it is fitting that the NDTC should be performing as part of the community’s celebration of Jamaica’s Diamond Jubilee as the company is itself celebrating 60 years.

“The purpose is to provide our community with different aspects of Jamaica’s cultural heritage, and who are better ambassadors of this culture than the NDTC?” he said.

“A performance by the company in 2022 will renew and strengthen the cultural and artistic ties between both countries and bring hope and fulfilment to the people of Florida as they celebrate this milestone occasion,” said Smith.

Smith pointed out that the Jamaican Folk Singers is part of this cultural heritage and has performed in South Florida as part of the Heritage Council outreach to bring Jamaican culture to the community. The pantomime is also planned for the community, he said.

All of this activity, Smith shared, is to expose the community to different aspects of Jamaican culture. He said that it is especially important that children are given the widest possible experience of the Jamaican culture, hence the free concert for schoolchildren.

The performance would also promote cultural understanding, appreciation of diversity and affirm cultural identity through a comprehensive showcasing of artistic excellence that is inherent in the people of the Caribbean.

Consul General Oliver Mair noted that the effort to bring the National Dance Company to South Florida has been a years-long one.

“The NDTC is a group that represents the best of Jamaica and it will be a privilege for the people of South Florida to experience their outstanding performance,” he said.

He said that the community could not get a better group to showcase Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage.