Studio to Stage 2017… A ‘must-see’ GEM of a performance!

JUST when patrons thought that the National School of Dance could not possibly top last year’s ‘Studio to Stage’ 50th Anniversary dance show, this year’s show managed to blow away the crowd.

This year, the show was performed under the theme: “Gems 2”, a follow-up from last year’s “Gems”.
In keeping with Guyanese culture, the show got off to a late start, but just as patrons were getting impatient, dancers rushed unto the stage adorned in their golden outfits. This dance followed by the next few dances, were spiritually themed.
The highlight of this section was when the toddlers pranced about on stage, friskily moving to “Jesus loves me”. Just imagine about 30 girls, no more than three feet, on a stage fighting to remember their choreography and bumping into one another. How cute is that?
As the show progressed, the older children came on with their modern dances to the classic songs of the 70s and 80s matched with the style of clothes from that era. Amidst this, one group of beginners dropped their Caribbean-style dance with popular 2017 Soca song, “Full Extreme” (or as it is better known, “Jammin’ still”).
While they gyrated, they ushered in the hype for the “Whip/Nae Nae” performance by another beginners’ group of girls.

Then, the discipline of another group of dancers was tested since, due to technical difficulties, they had no music to dance to. Even without their music, the six dancers were able to gracefully pull off their dance and earn the loudest applause of the night.
The back-to-back energetic performances, then the remarkable show of discipline had the crowd going crazy, and then with a few more dances, the show had met its intermission.
After the intermission, the stage was transformed into a village straight out of the Dreamworks movie, ‘Trolls’. The more classical dances were performed at this time, where each dance tied into an overarching story of good and merry, versus evil and mysterious. This culminated in a dramatic dance of good vs. evil, which had all the children in the auditorium screaming until the three young male heroes saved the day.
After this ended, the intermediate and advanced classes took to the stage, where they showcased their acquired finesse as they pulled off several complicated moves. The advanced class, dressed in their all-black attire, performed what can only be described as a sexy and seductive routine, while the intermediate class brought the fun in their upbeat and colourful dance.
Soon after, there was the finale, where all the dancers and directors came out on the stage to end the show.

All in all, the show was a blend of modern dance, classical ballet, contemporary, ethnic dances, Caribbean and Guyanese styles.
‘Studio to Stage’ is an annual production from the National School of Dance, under the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Here, the progress of the students throughout the academic year is showcased at a two-day show held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).
This year, the show was held on Saturday July 8, and was scheduled for Sunday, July 9 also. Due to unfortunate events occurring on Sunday, however, the show has been postponed to this coming Sunday.
Linda Griffith, NSC’s Director said that those who’ll be going to the National Cultural Centre need not worry about a shortage of dance presentations, styles and technique on Sunday.
So if you didn’t catch the first show, here’s your chance to witness the finesse and talent of young, local dancers.
Show starts at 19h00 (7:00pm) at the National Cultural Centre. It’s a must-see!

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