'Schoolaz' Gives Lesson in Plenty Things

Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

There was no denying that the production was more than an occasion to highlight a year of dance classes. It was, indeed, more than that; it was about ministering.

This conclusion was neither based on the first two items, as well as the penultimate one, on the programme - prayers - (one of which was Jamaica's National Anthem) nor was it due to the dominance of gospel dances in the second half of the show. The conclusion was as a result of the depth of the language and messages spoken by the choreographers, and the convincing manner in which they were executed by the young dancers.

The occasion was on Saturday, the second of three days, of Praise Academy of Dance 18th season of dance, titled 'Schoolaz'. Featuring dancers from the junior department, with reinforcement from the senior students, parents and guests, the dances, linked together, and told a story that could easily have been told this way: once upon a time the schoolyard was pregnant with children playing ring games. However, with the introduction of drugs and technology, children have become less than their promise. But let the choreographers and dancers tell the story.

an air of freshness

The curtains opened, to an air of freshness in the form of the very young dancers on stage playing - this was the opening piece - I am a Promise. And innovation continued in item number two, Bring Back Good Old Times.

Choreographed by Robertha Daley, Sharon Gordon, Michelle Patterson, Lajeane Cooke and Omoro Griffiths, and performed by the cast along with parents, the dance began with a series of somersaults. It gave a sense of fun and good times between parents and children, shown through ska movements. The costumes were of assorted colours and designs.

The title Bring Back Play Time, says it all. Further reinforced by charts boasting letters of the alphabet dangling above their heads, Daley and Gordon joined forces with Shirane Williamson and Abigail Edwards to recreate play time in a schoolyard. The dancers, classified as 3KK1, 4KK2 and 5KKAD, armed with the appropriate props such as hoola hoops, said their ABC, rolled over and jumped rope to the delight of all.

But the fun time ended in Who Really Leads, Device of Distraction and New Age Play. All three were well thought out. Jazz movements were used to highlight Daley's Device of Distraction complemented by the bling and name brand accessories. The group labelled Teens 4, dressed in black with gold-looking waistband, was entrusted to deliver the message. And the dance ended with a strong statement by the teens when they threw away that which they had clung to before.

glitzy backdrop

It was obvious from the outset that Schoolaz was not about large and glitzy backdrops often associated with dance company's concerts, but instead the organisers opted for simple chart-like drop-downs. But at The Little Theatre, the venue of the event, Gordon's dance, New Age Play, came alive with the dangling parts of computers clarifying the intentions of the choreographer and her team, Teens 4. This time, wearing black and grey costumes, they did a great job in capturing the mechanical movements of the dance.

Parents were also called to church, in Nicole Bain's Where's the Connection, the most moving dance on the programme. Dancing to the music from the Passion of the Christ, the dance began with a mother being connected to a baby by an umbilical chord. As she questions and curses the child, throughout her four stages depicted by four dancers at intervals, the dance ended with the child walking out.

The entertaining, but serious programme also incorporated live music, speech items in poetry and reflections, and silent praise, all addressing the struggles of Schoolaz. But the ultimate lesson that would have been garnered at the conclusion was that God is the answer.