INTERNATIONAL Dance Day will be celebrated tomorrow with the second National Dance Festival being held at the National Cultural Center. Well-established dance groups will take to the stage to showcase their artistry and among those groups will be the Kreative Arts, Dharmic Nirittya Sangh, Nritya Geet, Jewan Ka Nritya, X-Factor, Dance Fanatics, National School of Dance, Crystallite Dance Company, Classique Dance Company, and the National Dance Company.
Meanwhile, the International Dance Day Committee (IDDC) of Guyana and the National School of Dance, under the umbrella of the Institute of Creative Arts and the Ministry of Culture, held their second annual dance workshop last Saturday and Sunday for dancers around the country to explore varying dance styles.
The participants hailing from dance groups across the country, from Region 1 to Region 6, enthusiastically took part in dance sessions with styles such as modern, contemporary, Hip-hop, Indian, African, Ballet, and Amerindian.
Each style was taught by teachers from the National School of Dance and elite choreographers from various groups.
IDDC of Guyana executive member and choreographer of Jewan Ka Nritya, well known Roshini Boodhoo, said the national dance committee put together the workshop because they felt it was necessary for the dancers to come together in one forum to share their talents with one another.
She noted that one thing everyone can take away from the workshop is that all the Guyanese dancers originate from one pool of dance and branched off into the various forms; and everyone was happy to share with and learn from one another.
Another executive member of the committee and renowned choreographer of the Classique Dance Company, Clive Powell said that International Dance Day is about bringing all the dancers together to show there is a vibrant dance industry in Guyana. It’s the one time of the year where dancers of varying groups and companies can display what they are doing in their own styles in different regions.
“This is our second year observing this activity on such a scale, made possible through the funds provided by the Ministry of Culture; while last year was good, this year is shaping up to be even better as we have over 250 dancers participating.”

By Raveena Mangal