Trained Afro-Caribbean dancer Nicole Durrant always dreamed of bringing her love for Afro-dance to the Cayman stage. The dream started in her head and heart, made its way onto her notebook and now it’s becoming reality.
Once she heard Emancipation Day was reinstated in Cayman this year, “It felt right and almost like a calling from my ancestors to say, ‘Do it now’,” Durrant told the Cayman Compass.
Her dream is now taking form with the first staging of the culturally immersive Cayman Islands Afro Dance Conference, set to be held this month.
“As a dancer trained in Afro-Caribbean dance and [who] danced most of my professional life to live drumming, I was missing that element and connection in Cayman,” she said.
“It was always a mission of mine to bring that style and awareness here. I’ve always taught Caribbean folk classes and modern fusion classes in my years of teaching here and always wanted to bring this style and the culture that accompanies it on a larger scale to the Cayman community.”
The conference, being held 18-20 Oct., is aimed at sharing the culture and heritage of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora through the art of dance and music, specifically drumming.
“The conference will highlight traditional Caymanian dance and drumming. A Cayman drum workshop will also be held that will dive into the history of the drum and rhythm, as well as West African dance,” Durrant said.
“There will be modern fusion where we’ll explore the fusion of African movement with Euro – classical styles which our ancestors have done throughout colonialism to preserve and practice their customs, and of course a popular dance with an old school dancehall class that will look at how traditional dance informs how we move and create movement now.”
Durrant said she’s been sitting on the vision for a while and hopes the conference “opens up a space for the dance community and wider Cayman community to experience a style that is not widely taught or performed in Cayman.”
She continued, “It will help us as dancers and choreographers and students to learn a bit more about ourselves, about our roots as Caribbean people and be able to understand and make connections to our ancestral lineage that will give us other reference points to pull from when we move and create.”
For those who may attend who are not of Afro-Caribbean lineage, Durrant said the event will offer an opportunity to learn about another culture and develop respect for the origins of the dance styles.
“It offers an opportunity for cultural exchange while creating a space for all of us to network and form bonds to hopefully have more collaboration among us as dance artistes and in styles that are indigenous to us as Afro-Caribbean movers,” she said.
The conference will feature Tamara Thomas from New York who will teach West African dance, “which will have live, authentic drumming to accompany the class, and a modern fusion class. Kemoy Outar of DjembeKon in Jamaica will also be here to lead a workshop in Afro-Caribbean rhythms,” Durrant noted.
Conference choreographer Brian Watler Jr. will facilitate a quadrille workshop during the event.
“This event is a much-needed celebration of our Black heritage — a heritage that is rich, vibrant and deeply rooted in the traditions of our ancestors,” he said.
“From the powerful rhythm of the drums to the infectious energy of the dances, Afro dance connects us to cultural legacy that deserves to be embraced and passed on to future generations. I’m looking forward to the event and the opportunity it provides for us to reconnect with and honour our beautiful heritage.”
Local artist Randy Chollette will host a workshop on the traditional Caymanian kitchen drum, which he described as “an amazing opportunity to share our drumming heritage with both residents and visiting drummers and performers”.
“Drumming is an international language which unites us all, and music and dance in general breaks down barriers, so I am very excited to be a part of the first conference for Afro dance as a means of creating collaborative bonds between our cultures,” Chollette said.
Durrant hopes audiences and attendees of the conference will form a love for Afro-diasporic dance and will leave feeling culturally enriched and thoroughly entertained.
She added, “All movers are welcome, from beginner to advanced and no drumming experience is needed to join the workshops. The instructors are all well trained and are ready to share their knowledge and art with everyone. The final showcase will feature some of the companies and individuals we love and know, as well as our international visitors.”
Information on schedule, prices, and registration can be found on the website and questions can be sent via Instagram to @caymanafrodance.
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