CDT concert ‘Streams’ is a visual feast

The dance concert Streams by CDT Jamaica, a legacy company which honours Tony Wilson, who founded The Company Dance Theatre, at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Drive on Sunday evening, was a visual feast. The movement – on spot, across, and around the stage – was amazingly varied.

The many emotions portrayed in the different dances got excellent support from the complex lighting and evocative images projected onto the backdrop, designed by Nadia Roxburgh and Kareen McLean. And the costumes not only incorporated all the colours and hues of the rainbow, but also accentuated the tip-top physical condition and training of the performers.

Curiously, in an apparent break with tradition, the costumes seemed to have been designed by a group, rather than by individuals. The programme shows costume “execution” by Paul Anthony, Carolyn Chin Yee, Lisa Cornwall, Kaye-Ann Greene, Sharon Jackson, Samantha Meas, Gabrielle Miller and Snazzie4U. They did an outstanding job.

But the show provided much more than visual delight. A choir of more than 30 deCarteret College students, who were in fine voice, entertained with the popular show tunes You’ll Never Walk Alone (from Carousel) and Climb Ev’ry Mountain (from The Sound of Music) and Marcia Griffiths’ Stepping Out of Babylon. Then a couple of ladies, speaking on behalf of the Women in Law Foundation, the sponsors of that particular concert, tugged at the audience’s heartstrings with information about the excellent work they have been doing over the past four years for underserved Jamaicans, especially women and girls. The timing was appropriate as Sunday was International Women’s Day.

Lasting just under two and a half hours, the 12-item concert started with the full company performing a Wilson dance, ‘Streams’ (2025), which gave the production its title. A generally celebratory work, to the soundtrack of the movie Hotel Rwanda, it features a lot of flowing water imagery, indicated both by swathes of swirling cloth and graceful movements of bodies. Just as powerful streams occasionally leap from point to point or become turbulent, the dancers also portray those states, always with excellent control shown throughout.

The second dance, ‘The Return’, was one of the season’s two brand new works. Choreographed by Khalia Campbell, it is described in the programme as about “the moment when Jesus comes back to earth”. The description continues, “…this piece invites reflection on our readiness for that day and reminds us of the community we need to help one another reach heaven”.

Angels are dressed in white, while those who are not “ready” wear brown or dark colours and are alternately confronted by, or helped by, the good guys. Gospel songs like We Come Before Your Presence and You Are Holy provide the score.

The other dance getting its premiere for the season was ‘Baby Mama’, choreographed by CDT Artistic Director Dr Sade Bully Bell. It begins with a street party, seemingly set in the early years of the last century, as evidenced by the old-fashioned street lamp, the period costumes, and the brass band music. It also ends with a party in modern times, as indicated by the costumes and music. In between the two segments, couples are alternately spotlighted at different parts of the stage as they dance to soft, romantic music.

In addition to fine ensemble dancing throughout the show, there were two solo works which deserve special mention. Dancers in groups can easily hide little flaws and the occasional mistake; soloists have no such opportunity, as the lights and eyes are focused on them. The dancer to ‘Nature Boy’ (2001), choreographed by Pedro Bosch to David Bowie’s haunting song, moved with superb control and agility on and around his single prop, a long bench placed upstage. The work is performed by both Joel Brown and Matthew Johnson, with Brown taking the spotlight on Sunday night. Shirtless, he allowed the audience to clearly see all the muscles above the waist at work.

In contrast, Shauna Cummings, the other soloist, danced Wilson’s ‘Sparrow’ (1999) clad from neck to feet in a flowing white dress. She was equally graceful and used her costume as her prop with equal effectiveness as she flowed around the stage to Lauryn Hill singing His Eye is on the Sparrow.

An excerpt from Wilson’s ‘Rooted in the Spirit’ (2010), created as a tribute to one of the choreographer’s mentors, Professor Rex Nettleford, ended the evening on a high note. To lively music, the dancers celebrate in front of what appears to be a silhouette of a tree trunk projected on the white backdrop. As the dance progresses and more dancers come on stage, the tree grows to full size. The Soweto Gospel Choir is one of the providers of the inspirational music.

Streams, which flows to the Miramar Cultural Centre, Florida, this weekend on March 14, will doubtless be enjoyed by the audience there as much as it was here.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com