10 THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MARCH 3 - APRIL 2, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | ENTERTAINMENT NEW YORK, NY: A KALEIDOSCOPE of colors, accentuated by the pulsating beat of reggae was on full display during NYC Fashion Week, at Manhattan’s Sony Hall, in mid-February. In honoring Reggae (Music) Month and African Heritage (Black History) Month, VP Records Distributors brought its colorful clothing line and music catalogue to Runway7, to the delight of influential fashionistas, for the very first time in its storied 60-year history. With class and control, the models graced the runway with colors that predominantly represent the soul of the (Reggae) music and from the audience response, the presentation was a Top 10 hit! According to one knowledgeable insider, Pat Chin, the 86-year-old matriarch of VP Records, was extremely excited at the response to the RiddimDriven clothing line on show. - Leonard McKenzie photos. Riddim Driven Clothes on Di Runway! Models of the Riddim Clothing line. CONTRIBUTED Models of the Riddim Clothing line. KASHEDANCE, A company founded by Jamaican Kevin A. Ormsby, celebrates its 13th anniversary, with ‘Re:Imaginings: Celebration of Time An’ Movement’, an innovative new interactive ‘docu-formance’. Taking place at the Citadel + Compagnie in downtownToronto from March 3 to 6, it will be an in-person as well as virtual event. Each night, a pre-show event commences at 7:15, and is followed by the performance start time at 8 p.m. ‘Re:Imaginings’will also be streamed online at the Citadel + Compagnie event page, under “livestream tickets”. Tickets for the in-person performance are $25.00, while admission to the live stream is $4.99. The ‘docu-formance’ invites the audience to celebrate the rich cultural expression of the Caribbean. It is a creative collaboration between artistes – which has been five years in themaking – and boasts two sold-out showcases in 2018. Ormsby, KasheDance’s artistic director and show choreographer, wants ‘Re:Imaginings’ to serve as a testament to the resilience of Caribbean culture in Canada, which is particularly powerful in these unprecedented times. “So what if you hoot, holla, buss laugh, clap yuh han/stamp yuh foot an’ have a good time? Re:Imaginings will enlighten audiences about the deep historical impact of the Caribbean experience in Canada. As an interactive show, our in-person and virtual participants can read about, and feel the interconnections between our people and our lands as informed by the heavy influence which the Caribbean has had on the Canadian cultural landscape,” says Ormsby, who is a contributor to the new anthology, 100+ Voices for Miss Lou, published by the UWI Press. In an interviewwith Dr Lisa Tomlinson in it, he talks about Miss Lou’s television show, ‘Ring Ding’, providing his first “set of artistic experiences and interaction” with folk culture in Jamaica. Inspired by the fullness of Caribbean impact on Canada, which dates back to 1796, ‘Re:Imaginings’ questions the connections of time, place and movement to BPM (beats per minute) used to recognise sounds, resonance and syncopation in music. Instigated by Canada’s 150th celebration, it is a deep inquiry into the nuanced histories of Caribbean Canadians through Caribbean rhythms, celebrations and cultural practices. As part of the preshow exhibition, attendees are invited to peruse a selection of research materials, along with a series of cultural artefacts and physical objects. Each nightly performance begins with a physical land acknowledgement, which highlights Indigeneity to the lands of the Western Hemisphere, of which the Caribbean archipelago is a part. ‘Re:Imaginings’ is formed by abstracts from the French, Spanish, and English influences of the Caribbean, and uses this history to shape experiences through music. The show is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes in length. To enhance audience engagement, the production is highlighted by research footage from the Caribbean, along with photographs depicting Caribbean life and demonstrations of various Caribbean cultural ritual and ceremonial practices. The dancers – Cheryl Chan, Jillia Cato, Elina Valtonen, Benjamin Russell, Orin T. McRey, Nataliya Zlotnikov and Kevin A. Ormsby – will be complemented by five musicians. The dramaturge is Allison Cummings and the concept for ‘Re:Imaginings’ was developed by Ronald A. Taylor, Arsenio Andrade and the artistes. KasheDance is an Afro-Caribbean dance company echoing in a new genealogy of Afro-contemporary dance steeped in modern dance, ballet, and rooted in dance of the diaspora. The company has performed to critical acclaim in Canada and internationally. Dance company celebrates the Caribbean Experience in Canada Photo Credit Stuart Reeves - KasheDance. STUART REEVES
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUzNTI=