Representing culture, country and pride in identity

You may not know their name, but you’ve likely seen them around. The Riverside Angels are a cultural dance group whose captivating rhythmic performances have wowed Guyana for almost a decade.

Founded by a group of sisters from the West Bank of Demerara, the now-popular ensemble didn’t begin as an indigenous dance group but had its roots in modern dance. Today, they draw inspiration from other indigenous dancers to curate their own style, representing their heritage and Guyana on the world stage. This is something the girls say they’re proud to do, as much as they’re proud to be Guyanese.

From West Bank to World Stage
Seventeen-year-old Inezi Emmanuel, like her sisters, has been dancing since childhood. Speaking to the Pepperpot Magazine, she shared that the Riverside Angels group today is different from how it started. As she stated, “Riverside Angels wasn’t originally known as an Amerindian dance group. It was a modern dance group with members from different races. When everyone grew up and decided to separate into different dance groups, we decided to keep the name Riverside Angels and transform it into a heritage dance group.”

Leader and choreographer of the Angels, 22-year-old Elizabeth Davis, says that one of the reasons the group continues to thrive today is because of the bond between the sisters. She explained that every performance, every move, brings the team closer together and connects them a little bit more to their culture. As she stated, “It’s really excellent because I’m surrounded by my sisters. There are no strangers to me or my sisters. The bond we have together makes me want to push as one. Being part of this cultural group makes me even more proud of my heritage.”

Elizabeth says that dancing has brought them countless new opportunities, making them the go-to group for cultural displays. One of the biggest and certainly most memorable moments in the Angels’ career was their trip to Qatar. This was a major accomplishment for the sisters and the proudest moment of their lives to represent their heritage and country.

As Elizabeth stated, “. The place was amazing. We got to be on a plane for the very first time and to travel with my sisters because I always wanted to explore beyond Guyana. We went very far, and I was grateful for that.”

Amerindian Culture is Guyanese Culture
Twenty-one-year-old Leahna Emmanuel says that the sisters’ love of dance is rooted in their community. Coming from the community of Pouderoyen on the West Bank of Demerara, the sisters say they were encouraged to express themselves through dance. Over time, they became familiar with different genres of music.

As she stated, “Growing up in a community that played a lot of music, we always loved bouncing and moving to all of these beats. I remember in our preschool, we had to perform for our own graduation. We had teachers who taught us these modern dances.”

As the girls got older, however, they began developing their own style, listening to the lyrics of Amerindian songs and studying indigenous dances, creating a style of their own. As Leahna shared, “After we entered primary and secondary school, we started learning many different movements from various teachers because we used to take part in Mashramani competitions, Emancipation competitions, and other cultural activities. After the Riverside Angel Dance Group came together, we started combining styles. We began to listen to the words and create our own style.”

A unique fusion
Although their rise to notoriety was heavily based on their Indigenous dance moves, group member, 21-year-old Reahna Baird says that the Angels seek to do more than just indigenous dance moves. She explained that they are still building on traditional dances, saying, “I would say my dance group doesn’t fully do Amerindian dance movements because we’re still learning every day. We observe and learn from other indigenous dance groups, and we see the authentic movements coming from their communities.”

Proud of culture, country and identity
Reahna further added that they aim to capture creativity from different aspects of cultures and types of dances present in Guyana. The Riverside Angels are a group that represents Guyana through one of our many races, bringing to the forefront that, above all else, we are Guyanese and should be proud of who we are. As Reahna stated, “We try not to copy their movements but to be creative with our own. It’s a blessing from God to be one of the most popular dance groups in Guyana. We’re so grateful for being special dancers representing our culture and country.”