The Harquail Theatre provided an intimate atmosphere for the University College of the Cayman Islands performing arts programme’s two-night ‘Culturama’ production, held 13-14 April.
After touring and exposing the students to different art forms internationally, the UCCI dance company decided it was time to showcase to Grand Cayman all that they’d learned.
“The very name, Culturama, indicated a cultural experience,” Monika Lawrence, associate professor at UCCI, artistic director and choreographer, told the Compass. “Not necessarily within any one country, or anything, it was just a journey through different types of experiences.”
Choreographed by Lawrence, some 50 performers, consisting of the dance company, choir, steel pan band, and alumni, presented a wide variety of expressions, themes and genres through dance, music and song.
Hues of red, white, green, yellow and blue lights complemented the dancers who tip-toed, leaped, and pliéd across the dance floor, swaying to the rhythm of several musical moods.
UCCI’s 17-member Pandemix steel pan band presented three pieces in a variety of genres.
Along with dance, music and songs, the production featured skits, captivating the well-attended audiences with dramatic action.
The visually stunning performances ended with all performers presenting ‘Selah’, a spiritual journey to the Holy City.
“All of this was to show the different ways of presenting dance,” Lawrence said.
She added, “There’s an intellectual component to it. Everything about dance and movement tells a story. It must relate something. The audience must feel some connection to it.”
The repertoire also featured tributes to the late reggae music icon Bob Marley; as well as to Roy Bodden, past president of UCCI, the visionary behind institution’s performing arts programme; and to retired dance teacher Jackie Balls, who has contributed to UCCI programmes and has promoted dance in the Cayman Islands over the years.
Students from 17 schools across Cayman were among the first to see the show.
“I am most proud of the level that the students had risen,” Lawrence said.
“To see them out there, maintain the intensity, concentration, stamina to go through the full-length programme… in the end, to see the reaction of the audience, to me that was the most beautiful experience because they went away feeling really good about themselves.”
The arts are “extremely important,” she said. “It teaches them discipline, time management, concentration, and everything requires a different type of energy.”
Lawrence said the students rehearsed five days a week right up until their performances.
“The amount of rehearsals that they have to go through is phenomenal,” she said. “This is what is going to carry them through life.”
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