by Curlan Campbell
- Free dance workshop “For the Love of Dance” offered for second year
- Held in various parishes, 175 children and 150 adults participated in workshop
- L’Antech is only technique in dance from anglophone Caribbean included in CAPE and CSEC syllabus
Since making the life-altering decision to deviate from her career path of a physiotherapist to emerging as one of Grenada’s youngest talent in the theatre arts industry, dance performer and choreographer Shaneaka Gibbs has repeatedly proven that dreams can come true for those who never give up on their dreams and aspirations.
After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Performance and Choreography with Honours from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA), Gibbs has become a senior company member and Dance Captain of L’Acadco Dance Company and, founded ONEUNIT Dance Grenada, serving as its Creative Director in a bid to formalise the Performing Arts through dance within the school curriculum.
With the help and backing of L’Acadco Dance Company, Gibbs’ dance company concluded a free dance workshop in Grenada, “For the Love of Dance”, for the second year, offering the fundamentals of African dance, classical ballet and modern contemporary dance routines.
Gibbs is grateful to see her goal of giving back finally materialised. “I feel like the first one I will say is gratefulness,” she said. “Like, you know, I’ve had many ideas. You know, we all dream the impossible dream. But seeing it and seeing it materialise into things that you never even thought that it could become is wowing. It’s humbling. Again, life is a full circle. And I don’t know, maybe it’s my upbringing, but I’ve never not remembered where I came from or remember who impacted me along the way and not remember my journey.”
World-renowned Jamaican choreographer and Artistic Director of L’Acadco, Dr L’Antoinette Stines and Associate Artistic Director Jessica Shaw, and other members of the L’Acadco Dance Company, accompanied Gibbs on her mission to give back to Grenada, bringing their expertise and experience to share with workshop participants.
The dance workshop was held in various parishes and 175 children and 150 adults participated. The last leg was held from 7-12 December at the Grenada Youth Centre.
“I think Grenada has a lot of talents, but stuff like dance has been made to seem only for the people who can pay, not for the people who can’t. Of course, I see myself in a lot of youngsters. I was very shy, growing up, but I came alive, you know, when the drums beat or when the music played, and I see a lot of us in the youngsters,” Gibbs added.
Sagicor Financial Company Ltd. and the Ministry of Culture played an integral role in making this dance workshop possible.
“The aim is to have an exchange programme to select 2 or 3 participants and pay for their full accommodation and whatever else they need for the summer program at the School of Dance in Jamaica. This was used as an audition by the Ministry for the Grenada National Dance Company,” Gibbs said.
Dr Stines has been instrumental in providing mentorship training and guidance to Shaneaka Gibbs in her formative years at the Edna Manley College in Jamaica. “She came to Jamaica to go to the Edna Manley College. She did it, she finished, and she got her degree. But the training aspects for her to be professional, she came to me, and I found a very, very talented, but talent and potential are very good. You need that, but it has to be trained in a very structured way. Dance is not something to just get up and do. Dancing is like football you cannot be a footballer and don’t learn to dribble. Well, dance is not a simple thing,” Dr Stines explained.
Dr Stines, with over 40 years of experience and expertise in shaping Caribbean dance, believes integrating dance and theatre arts into the school curriculum has been a slow and arduous process. Still, its introduction has marked the beginning towards creating a sustainable career path that deviates from the norm. She has pioneered a dance technique called L’Antech, the only technique in dance from the anglophone Caribbean included in the CAPE and CSEC syllabus.
Dr Stines believes that a shift is needed to change the perception of parents, some of whom may be well-meaning, who view dancing as a hobby and not as a viable and lucrative profession. However, she is also of the view that workshops like these can help change the narrative.
In academia, dancing has been linked to improved memory and cognitive function since learning choreography, especially at a young age requires mental processing to remember complex sequences of choreographed moves. Also, the art of dancing promotes joint mobility and reduces the risk of injury while improving physical performance.
Jessica Shaw, Associate Artistic Director of L’Acadco and Lecturer at Edna Manley College School of Dance, advocates that dancing should be introduced to students at a younger age.
She stated that for the Performing Arts industry in Grenada to grow, policymakers must make an intentional effort to formalise the sector by integrating it into the education system.
“I definitely think it starts in the schools. I think the curriculum needs to include dance and other performing arts forms and genres in the school so that people can be exposed to it early so they can make a decision early. So what happens a lot of the time is people discover their love for dance a little later than we would ideally prefer. Because then the body is already set, your bones have already grown to full maturity, your flexibility and mobility have been set in a particular way that only pedestrians would recognise where you know dancers are athletes, and some of the best athletes have been training for their entire life. So I would definitely say to introduce it to the curriculum in a more structured way where everybody gets explained and exposed to it, and then they can make a decision,” Shaw explained.
11-year-old Larissa Baptiste from Concord Government School was among the young participants of the dance workshop, inspired to start dancing after seeing dancers on television.
She said the workshop was informative and shared some advice for others to inspire them to pursue their dreams. “I have learned how to do things I’ve never done before, and I always like to dance because I see people on television and I always wanted to try it. I would like to tell my friends who want to start dancing to be confident and always follow your dreams.”
During the closing ceremony, the team at L’Acadco donated two kumina drums to the Grenada Cultural Foundation with the assurance that training would be provided to drummers on how to properly play the instrument.
Gibbs has set her sights to ensure that dance and the performing arts develop and that young people interested in pursuing a career are given support. “I think Grenada has a lot of talents, but stuff like dance has been made to seem only for the people who can pay, not for the people who can’t. Of course, I see myself in a lot of youngsters. I was very shy, growing up, but I came alive, you know, when the drums beat or when the music played, and I see a lot of us in the youngsters,” she said.
Gibbs is now preparing for another tour with L’Acadco, where they expect to perform at Gerald W Lynch Threatre at John Jay College in New York.
