DanceSport in Trinidad and Tobago
We have reported on our conversations with the President and General Secretary of the National Ballroom Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago earlier this week. During our brief exchange, Neil Derrick and Carl Edwards outlined the approach they and their organisation take in promoting all forms/styles of dance among the young. With the help of the government!
They made reference to the annual Secondary School Dance Festival which took place in March. Students from all over Trinidad and Tobago got together to compete amongst themselves during qualifying rounds at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre in Couva.
The festival programme comprised all the styles of dance practised in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.
- Latin and Standard
- Classical dances
- Traditional folk dances from around the world
- Contemporary dances (Modern, Jazz and Fusion)
- Hip Hop
Additionally, the students focused on choreography in the traditional dances of Trinidad and Tobago. The finals of the competitions were held on 29 April, the International Dance Day, and Prize Giving took place on 14 May.
A lot of dancing for small islands! And the concept bears strong resemblance to the WDSF VISION 2012. Would anyone be surprised if TT would break the European hegemony in DanceSport in the future? Probably not. This is a well structured approach to train future champions. But remember the words of Derrick and Edwards. One key element is still missing!
"We hope to find someone who would be able to come to our country for an extended period of time - for several months in fact - and who could deal with training not just the dancers, but the adjudicators and coaches as well."
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