“Our Caribbean Spirit,” the signature piece for Dance Caribbean COLLECTIVE's 2017 New Traditions Festival premiered on June 16-18th, 2017 at Mark Morris Dance Center. The project considered various Caribbean Dance forms present throughout NYC by connecting with Caribbean cultural organizations rooted in preserving tradition and practice. The process included:

1. Our Caribbean Spirit Interview Series with Cultural Leaders:

Guyana Cultural Association: Dr. Rosalind October-Edun
St. Lucia Folklore Association: Henith Samuel, Bryan Henry, John Sonson
JayaDevi Arts Inc: Denyse Baboolal
Herencia De Cuba: Carlos Mateu

2. Articles and Video Series produced by:
Andre Zachery | A’Keitha Carey | Ellen Maynard | Brittany Williams | Candace Thompson

Read and watch here: ourcaribbeanspirit.wordpress.com/

Our Caribbean Spirit developed in residency at Brooklyn Studios for Dance, explores how the movement from various island cultures tells the story of our resilience and exuberance.

3. Our Caribbean Spirit Performance

Cast:

Akilah Pascall
Alexandra Jean-Joseph
Clara Auguste
Dionisia Rigby
Ilana Warner
Indira Warner
Natasha Markwick

Directed with Choreography by: 
Candace Thompson

Run time: 16 mins

The aim of the dance portion of this project, was to unite dancers of or trained in, Caribbean traditions in NYC, across the varied styles and island backgrounds. These performers, fiercely committed, share a common love, and passion for Caribbean dance that layers with their own personal stories to make this piece magical.

Image by Shane Drummond