Two Cultural Stalwarts Honoured ; History is Made at The Successful DanceFest Showcase!

The recent staging of DanceFest has been deemed more than just dance but rather, “A

platform to address the imbalance in our values and cultural standards of community 

and family,” says Trevor Prescod, Special Envoy, Ministry of Culture in the Prime Minister’s

Office, whose office was responsible for the staging and successful return of DanceFest.

Prescod added, “The performing arts is a mirror of us, features of Joy and pain that are

openly expressed and covertly endured.” On the heels of celebrating the 57 th anniversary of Barbados’ independence and the second year as a republic, the Special

Advisor to the Prime Minister expressed, “The rebirth of DanceFest is an expression of our liberty, it is reparatory justice within our communities, and particularly those on the social rim, and the required structures and systems for growth will provide for transformation.”

Two well-known culturalist and performance creatives, Tyrone Trotman and Shelly Small,

both of whom have given back and worked extensively in some of the most vulnerable

communities for decades, became the first recipients of the DanceFest Award of Honour for their developmental contributions. Trotman, an artistic director who can be credited with giving many of the island’s professional creatives their start said,

“I am cognizant of the fact and the reason I work so hard with the youth is because positive values sowed today, will germinate later in life and determine the individual’s quality of life.”

Ms. Small the Founder of ‘Little People Fun and Frolic’ added, “I am very honoured and feel tremendous gratitude to know that persons acknowledge and see my work. I am here on this earth for a reason and that is to share the gifts that our creator has given me.”

About 2000 patrons attended the return of DanceFest held at the Copacabana Beach Club, where families lounged on beach chairs and danced on the sand in a festive relaxed atmosphere.

The show’s producer Kelvin Carvalho described the Dec 3rd event as well

received, with the audience relaxing under the stars while being captivated by the community stars on stage. (PR)

“Both Mr. Trotman and Ms. Small have been in the trenches of our community, providing

creative relief for our youth for more than 35 years. The impact of their contribution in

shaping and molding these young people as well as harnessing that raw talent, is cultivated into what we witnessed on the stage at DanceFest,” Carvalho said. “The very purpose for DanceFest The Rebirth and DJ Sound Clash is to provide a platform for young men and women who are in the vulnerable communities. This initiative provides a safe, brave space for them to freely breathe and express themselves through the creative arts.”

The DJ Sound Clash was a new addition to DanceFest and saw aspiring DJs as young as age 12 to 14. Professional DJ and on-air radio personality DJ Indian, who was paired with 12-year-old DJ Zary said, “It was a great idea to incorporate the young upcoming DJs, giving them the opportunity to perform at an event like DanceFest. Chris Gayle and I have always been mentors to some of the younger generation of DJs. Being able to guide and assist them and also showing them the diversity of where this career path can lead, along with the experiences and opportunities it presents.”

Indian added, “Seeing how the crowd reacted towards Zary, I felt like a proud father. He is like a son to me and to see him perform infront of that magnitude of people was a great feeling!”

The competitive aspect of DanceFest is slated to be staged in 2024 while the community

outreach begins immediately. Ministers Corey Lane and Kirk Humphrey were in attendance, in support of how DanceFest can benefit at risk and vulnerable youth.