Over the weekend, more than 800 people were taken on a dance adventure around the world without leaving the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College.
During two showings of the BVI Dance Fest on Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of youths displayed their talent in 26 performances that together lasted more than three hours. The event, which was produced by the BVI Dance School, featured wide-ranging styles and music from here and abroad, including contemporary, jazz, lyrical and hip-hop. Both nights sold out.
“We always strive for excellence in our school,” BVI Dance School Director Sandy Lyons said.
“The hard work of the teachers combined with the talent of our students made for a very successful show this year.”
Oklahoma, France, Spain
Opening the dance festival was Ms. Lyons’ third grade ballet class, who performed a Broadway-inspired piece called “Oklahoma Medley.”
“I have always loved the Broadway show Oklahoma soundtrack,” she said.
From there, the show moved to other parts of the world.
Following a French-themed dance, host Leana Simon introduced the “Latino Festiva” piece choreographed by Jo-Ann Downing.
“We were just in France, and now we are going to take a Latin tour,” Ms. Simon said.
Aerial dancers also took the stage, performing on silks hanging from the ceiling.
New classes
Besides BVI Dance School, other local dance studios were invited to participate in the event, including Frangipani Aerials and Elivated Dance Company.
“The original concept of the BVI Dance Fest was to join different dance groups into a single venue,” Ms. Lyons said. “At the time, we were the only dance school on island.”
Since then, she said, the industry has grown tremendously, and there are currently at least four dance companies in the territory.
As part of efforts to cater to the growing demand, Ms. Downing developed four new classes this year for advanced students between the ages of 8 and 18, according to Ms. Lyons.
“These classes all utilise students who we believe have the greatest desire to improve in dance,” the director said.