Photos by Joshua Cazoe
M. DANSE COLLECTIVE
New dance company impresses at Little Carib
Thursday, December 19 2013
The following review written by Margret Samuel of Diego Martin, was supplied to Newsday by and published with the permission of the M Danse Collection.
I had the pleasure on Sunday evening of attending M Danse Collection’s offering for December 2013 at the Little Carib Theatre, Woodbrook. I have been supporting dance in Trinidad and Tobago for many many years, having danced myself with “Auntie Thora” and the Thora Dumbell School of Dance for practically my entire childhood.
All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Founded by Megan Navarro, Zaidee Walker and Ladelin Garcia, the passion of this new group was obviously pure.
The show began with “Base Note” performed by Megan Navarro, Zaidee Walker and Anika Marcelle (who also choreographed the piece). It was a strong piece, very emotive and very well synchronised among the three dancers, who although in sync were able to showcase their own personal strength.
This was followed by “Big White Room”. A dark piece performed by the multi-talented Janine Ayn Romano. Accompanied by Judah Bharath on guitar, this piece told the story of a fallen star in the throes of a mental breakdown.
Seemingly disturbing for this time of year, it was apparent to me that the reason it was so dark is that Janine was very convincing. She has an amazing voice to go with her dance skills. Janine is someone to watch very closely.
“Dust to dust”, a soulful moving piece choreographed and performed by the long-legged Zaidee Walker was next. Zaidee is a beautiful dancer, who manages to have the perfect expression on her face during each piece. You can see that this young lady was born to dance.
After this we were treated to the UTT students, in a piece choreographed by Megan. A strong piece, interesting because although these were young dancers, she was able to evoke confidence and passion from them. They are a strong bunch of dancers who are already contributing to the future of dance in TT.
After a short intermission, Zaidee Walker made another appearance in “Danca a Bossa”, accompanied by Music Festival winning guitarist Stephan Roach. This was a flirty piece in which Zaidee perfectly illustrated the sensuality this genre of music can evoke. She bought a smile to the faces of the patrons and a few chuckles as she shook her short skirt and smiled at Stephan in a delightfully flirty fashion. Stephan Roach is a joy to listen to. Pure talent.
“Tangled Intersections” followed, performed by Jacob Cino and Megan. This was a very interesting piece as the dancers were hardly ever very far apart, almost always touching through the entire piece. Both Jacob and Megan are very strong physically and perfectly executed the falling, rolling, counter-balancing and lifting with minimal effort. Coming from a martial arts background Steve Paxton developed Contact Improv through exploration of all these skills. Jacob and Megan were like two peas in a pod. Wonderful synergy.
Combining Afro-Venezuelan and modern dance “Mezcla De Raices” took us back to the origins by presenting music where there were no boundaries between the physical and spiritual. Performed by a group of six young dancers it was stimulating and clean.
“Something in Between”was the second to last piece presented. This was probably one of my favourites and definitely one of the strongest pieces in the show. Megan Navarro speaks not just with her body but also her face. A very powerful piece telling the story of “in between” when things are neither black or white, right or wrong. A force to be reckoned with, she had me fixated (I could not take my eyes off of her) as she transported us to where she was. She really pulled at our heart strings with this emotive piece. I loved it.
Closing the show was “Turning Point” choreographed by Megan and performed by a group of seven including co-founder Ladelin Garcia (a delight to behold by the way). This was a great piece to end the show as it showcased the main dancers who, though they have not danced together for that long, understood and followed each others rhythms very well.
These young dancers had the audience clapping and whooping after each piece – such was the intensity and passion exhibited.
Hats off to the lighting designer Al Maturin and costume designer. It would be remiss of me not to mention two more things. Dancers Auntie Thora Dumbell, Rhonda-Lou Julian Samuel, Heather Henderson Gordon, Charlene Harris and Debbie Mount were all in the audience, there to support and ensure that dance in Trinidad is in good hands. Also that other than a few blocks which doubled as seats and a photo frame used in”Something in Between” there were no props and they were not needed.
This production was pure and heartfelt and I am extremely excited to see what they produce in 2014.
To all their sponsors, all I can say is let it be said – your money was well spent. Well done, well done!
M. DANSE COLLECTIVE
New dance company impresses at Little Carib
Thursday, December 19 2013
The following review written by Margret Samuel of Diego Martin, was supplied to Newsday by and published with the permission of the M Danse Collection.
I had the pleasure on Sunday evening of attending M Danse Collection’s offering for December 2013 at the Little Carib Theatre, Woodbrook. I have been supporting dance in Trinidad and Tobago for many many years, having danced myself with “Auntie Thora” and the Thora Dumbell School of Dance for practically my entire childhood.
All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Founded by Megan Navarro, Zaidee Walker and Ladelin Garcia, the passion of this new group was obviously pure.
The show began with “Base Note” performed by Megan Navarro, Zaidee Walker and Anika Marcelle (who also choreographed the piece). It was a strong piece, very emotive and very well synchronised among the three dancers, who although in sync were able to showcase their own personal strength.
This was followed by “Big White Room”. A dark piece performed by the multi-talented Janine Ayn Romano. Accompanied by Judah Bharath on guitar, this piece told the story of a fallen star in the throes of a mental breakdown.
Seemingly disturbing for this time of year, it was apparent to me that the reason it was so dark is that Janine was very convincing. She has an amazing voice to go with her dance skills. Janine is someone to watch very closely.
“Dust to dust”, a soulful moving piece choreographed and performed by the long-legged Zaidee Walker was next. Zaidee is a beautiful dancer, who manages to have the perfect expression on her face during each piece. You can see that this young lady was born to dance.
After this we were treated to the UTT students, in a piece choreographed by Megan. A strong piece, interesting because although these were young dancers, she was able to evoke confidence and passion from them. They are a strong bunch of dancers who are already contributing to the future of dance in TT.
After a short intermission, Zaidee Walker made another appearance in “Danca a Bossa”, accompanied by Music Festival winning guitarist Stephan Roach. This was a flirty piece in which Zaidee perfectly illustrated the sensuality this genre of music can evoke. She bought a smile to the faces of the patrons and a few chuckles as she shook her short skirt and smiled at Stephan in a delightfully flirty fashion. Stephan Roach is a joy to listen to. Pure talent.
“Tangled Intersections” followed, performed by Jacob Cino and Megan. This was a very interesting piece as the dancers were hardly ever very far apart, almost always touching through the entire piece. Both Jacob and Megan are very strong physically and perfectly executed the falling, rolling, counter-balancing and lifting with minimal effort. Coming from a martial arts background Steve Paxton developed Contact Improv through exploration of all these skills. Jacob and Megan were like two peas in a pod. Wonderful synergy.
Combining Afro-Venezuelan and modern dance “Mezcla De Raices” took us back to the origins by presenting music where there were no boundaries between the physical and spiritual. Performed by a group of six young dancers it was stimulating and clean.
“Something in Between”was the second to last piece presented. This was probably one of my favourites and definitely one of the strongest pieces in the show. Megan Navarro speaks not just with her body but also her face. A very powerful piece telling the story of “in between” when things are neither black or white, right or wrong. A force to be reckoned with, she had me fixated (I could not take my eyes off of her) as she transported us to where she was. She really pulled at our heart strings with this emotive piece. I loved it.
Closing the show was “Turning Point” choreographed by Megan and performed by a group of seven including co-founder Ladelin Garcia (a delight to behold by the way). This was a great piece to end the show as it showcased the main dancers who, though they have not danced together for that long, understood and followed each others rhythms very well.
These young dancers had the audience clapping and whooping after each piece – such was the intensity and passion exhibited.
Hats off to the lighting designer Al Maturin and costume designer. It would be remiss of me not to mention two more things. Dancers Auntie Thora Dumbell, Rhonda-Lou Julian Samuel, Heather Henderson Gordon, Charlene Harris and Debbie Mount were all in the audience, there to support and ensure that dance in Trinidad is in good hands. Also that other than a few blocks which doubled as seats and a photo frame used in”Something in Between” there were no props and they were not needed.
This production was pure and heartfelt and I am extremely excited to see what they produce in 2014.
To all their sponsors, all I can say is let it be said – your money was well spent. Well done, well done!
Photos by Joshua Cazoe
M. DANSE COLLECTIVE
Press ReleaseM Danse Collective at Little Carib
Friday, December 13 2013
This weekend, the M Danse Collective (MDC) will present a collection of original works at The Little Carib Theatre. From dancers to singers to musicians to visual artists, a broad spectrum of creativity will be offered to the audience.
Megan Navarro, MDC Artistic Director, stated, “In this show we are showcasing contemporary modern, Afro Venezuelan folk mixed with modern, one singer, (and) two guitarists one of which plays flamenco.”
MDC was launched on August 17 this year by Navarro and is made up of herself and two other dancers, Zaidee Walker and Ladelin Garcia. Other performers involved in the production were recruited through auditions.
According to Navarro, MDC was created to fuel creation through collaboration between the different genres of the arts spoken word/poets, musicians, visual, other dancers etc.
Navarro, a Trinbagonian dancer, choreographer, teacher and performer has known ever since the age of four she wanted to start her own dance company. She began her training with The Thora Dumbell School of Dance, under the direction of Thora Dumbell herself. She then trained with The Tobago Academy of Performing Arts under Charlene Harris, Richard Lessey and Arlene Frank, where she trained in ballet, modern and tap.
For its first production, MDC has incorporated dancers from the UTT Dance Programme and has invited talented young choreographers such as Bridgette Wilson of the Caribbean School of Dance and attracted international performers such as dancer Jacob Cino and singer Janine Romano.
The show is open to all ages and will take place at The Little Carib Theatre tomorrow at 8 pm and Sunday at 6 pm. The opening night will conclude with a reception at Drink! wine bar.
M. DANSE COLLECTIVE
Press ReleaseM Danse Collective at Little Carib
Friday, December 13 2013
This weekend, the M Danse Collective (MDC) will present a collection of original works at The Little Carib Theatre. From dancers to singers to musicians to visual artists, a broad spectrum of creativity will be offered to the audience.
Megan Navarro, MDC Artistic Director, stated, “In this show we are showcasing contemporary modern, Afro Venezuelan folk mixed with modern, one singer, (and) two guitarists one of which plays flamenco.”
MDC was launched on August 17 this year by Navarro and is made up of herself and two other dancers, Zaidee Walker and Ladelin Garcia. Other performers involved in the production were recruited through auditions.
According to Navarro, MDC was created to fuel creation through collaboration between the different genres of the arts spoken word/poets, musicians, visual, other dancers etc.
Navarro, a Trinbagonian dancer, choreographer, teacher and performer has known ever since the age of four she wanted to start her own dance company. She began her training with The Thora Dumbell School of Dance, under the direction of Thora Dumbell herself. She then trained with The Tobago Academy of Performing Arts under Charlene Harris, Richard Lessey and Arlene Frank, where she trained in ballet, modern and tap.
For its first production, MDC has incorporated dancers from the UTT Dance Programme and has invited talented young choreographers such as Bridgette Wilson of the Caribbean School of Dance and attracted international performers such as dancer Jacob Cino and singer Janine Romano.
The show is open to all ages and will take place at The Little Carib Theatre tomorrow at 8 pm and Sunday at 6 pm. The opening night will conclude with a reception at Drink! wine bar.
Megan Navarro’s dancing dream comes trueStory Created: Aug 13, 2013 at 8:38 PM ECT
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Megan-Navarros--dancing-dream--comes-true-219497791.html
Story Updated: Aug 13, 2013 at 8:38 PM ECT
Dancer, choreographer, teacher, performer, Megan Navarro has known ever since the age of four-years-old she wanted to start her own dance company. She began her training with The Thora Dumbell School of Dance, under the direction of Thora Dumbell herself. She then trained with The Tobago Academy Of Performing Arts under Charlene Harris, Richard Lessey and Arlene Frank, where she trained in ballet, modern and tap.
Megan is a graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre Professional Training Programme, in Canada 2007-2010. Upon completion of the programme, she was awarded the “Solo Summer Project”, and had the privilege of working with well-known choreographer Sharon Moore on a solo work of her own.
After returning home in May 2011, she joined the team at Elle NYTT Dance Company in September 2011. She currently holds the roles of dance instructor, choreographer, and performer, and teaches modern dance at both their Cascade and Curepe locations.
In 2012 her choreography ‘Con Tact’ was showcased in the COCO Dance Festival at The Little Carib, and in July 2013 she premiered ‘Third Stem’ and ‘Dancing Through My Dreams’ in Elle NYTT’s first modern dance production where she also performed in works by Anika Marcelle, Delton Frank and La Shaun Prescott.
The M Danse Collective, MDC has been a dream of Megan’s for some time now. She has always been interested in collaboration with artistes outside of the dance genre. MDC was created with two other dancers Zaidee Walker and Ladelin Garcia, to fuel creation through collaboration between the different genres of the arts spoken word/poets, musicians, visual, other dancers etc.
On August 17, MDC will be launching the company’s first show at The Black Box Theatre at La Danse Caraibe Studio, Luis Street Woodbrook. Show time is 7 p.m.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Megan-Navarros--dancing-dream--comes-true-219497791.html
Story Updated: Aug 13, 2013 at 8:38 PM ECT
Dancer, choreographer, teacher, performer, Megan Navarro has known ever since the age of four-years-old she wanted to start her own dance company. She began her training with The Thora Dumbell School of Dance, under the direction of Thora Dumbell herself. She then trained with The Tobago Academy Of Performing Arts under Charlene Harris, Richard Lessey and Arlene Frank, where she trained in ballet, modern and tap.
Megan is a graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre Professional Training Programme, in Canada 2007-2010. Upon completion of the programme, she was awarded the “Solo Summer Project”, and had the privilege of working with well-known choreographer Sharon Moore on a solo work of her own.
After returning home in May 2011, she joined the team at Elle NYTT Dance Company in September 2011. She currently holds the roles of dance instructor, choreographer, and performer, and teaches modern dance at both their Cascade and Curepe locations.
In 2012 her choreography ‘Con Tact’ was showcased in the COCO Dance Festival at The Little Carib, and in July 2013 she premiered ‘Third Stem’ and ‘Dancing Through My Dreams’ in Elle NYTT’s first modern dance production where she also performed in works by Anika Marcelle, Delton Frank and La Shaun Prescott.
The M Danse Collective, MDC has been a dream of Megan’s for some time now. She has always been interested in collaboration with artistes outside of the dance genre. MDC was created with two other dancers Zaidee Walker and Ladelin Garcia, to fuel creation through collaboration between the different genres of the arts spoken word/poets, musicians, visual, other dancers etc.
On August 17, MDC will be launching the company’s first show at The Black Box Theatre at La Danse Caraibe Studio, Luis Street Woodbrook. Show time is 7 p.m.