Raymond Lawrence set himself a daunting task three decades ago: to create a kind of contemporary dance that reflects the life and people of the island of Dominica, without simply rehashing folk dances or imitating Western forms such as ballet or modern dance.
"We draw from all of those, but we call ourselves 'folk-creative,'" said Lawrence, artistic director of Waitukubuli Dance Theatre Company. "While we have opened ourselves up to different techniques and traditions, we want to make a type of dance that relates to Dominica and the Caribbean region, that reflects our life here and the experiences of our people."
Virgin Islanders will have a chance to see how well Lawrence has succeeded when Waitukubuli (the Carib Indian name for the island of Dominica) fills the stage at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on Saturday. The island's creole culture mixing African, French, British, West Indian and native Carib traditions infuses Waitukubuli's dances, which are usually performed with Caribbean costume and music as well.
"We use a lot of the bèlè in our pieces, a dance from West Africa that's still done in Dominica," said Lawrence, who choreographs most of the groups's pieces, though he has also invited other choreographers from Dominica and beyond to work with Waitukubuli. "We also draw from the European-influenced folk dance called the jing-ping, the quadrille and other dances. Most of the members of the group have had some sort of training in modern dance and bèlè, but we do tend more towards folk dance."
Jing-ping is traditionally set to the Dominican music of the same name, while other dances utilize reggae, calypso and zouk as well the occasional far-flung sound; one piece is performed to classical guitar by the late Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo.
Lawrence has done dance workshops across the Caribbean, from Trinidad to Jamaica, and the troupe is even more well-traveled, having given performances in Canada, the U.S. mainland as well as closer to home. The company is also a recipient of the Edward LeBlanc award for outstanding contribution to arts and culture in Dominica.
Waitukubuli Dance Theatre Company performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Reichhold. For tickets, call 693-1559 or visit the Reichhold Web site.
Click for related story on the rest of the Reichhold center's 2000-2001 season.
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