An exciting slate of twenty-one international choreographers will light up the stage at Queen’s Hall because the COCO Dance Festival returns to in person-performances from Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 October at 6:00pm, following a two 12 months pivot to online-only shows, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live and ‘dance on film’ performances from Jamaica, Barbados, the USA and Mexico, together with a number of the perfect from Trinidad and Tobago will once more put the highlight on contemporary dance and the choreographers who drive it.
The Better of T&T Dance
As a part of the Festival, COCO will likely be honouring the work of the late Astor Johnson, whose company, The Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre, is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary and can perform the 1979 classic, Stay Up Zimbabwe – one in every of Johnson’s early works which has been performed at home and abroad to standing ovations and significant acclaim. The Repertory Dance Theatre may even present a workshop for younger generations of dancers to grasp Johnson’s technique and philosophy of dance.
Other on-stage performances include Overcoming – a commentary on facing adversity and bouncing back, choreographed by Trinidadian-born Terry Springer – a highly acclaimed international dance artist who choreographed performances on the opening ceremony of Carifesta XIV in 2019.
While Deon Baptiste’s Tribute to OYA!, will have fun the powerful female orisha goddess of wind, change and transformation, in a performance that mixes modern and folk, because it delves out and in of authentic Orisa movements.
The International Slate
Also on stage will likely be Konflikt II•IV. by Mexican-American choreographer, Daniel Garcia, which explores the intimacy and power of human connectivity, juxtaposed against the discomfort of being constricted by it. The dance on film performances, which will likely be screened each evening, include: Minding the Void, by US choreographer Tate J Navarro- a bit which interrogates what it would appear like if the sentiments we keep bottled up, finally got a moment in the sunshine.
The COCO Dance Festival may even be live streamed to enable audiences abroad to tune in and luxuriate in.
For more information on COCO events, visit COCO Dance Festival on Facebook or contact: cocodanceinfo@gmail.com Tickets cost $150 and can be found on the Queen’s Hall box office. A gaggle discount of 5 tickets for $500 could be reserved via COCO Dance Festival on Facebook.
About COCO Dance Festival
Now in its fourteenth 12 months, the Contemporary Choreographers’ Collective (COCO) Dance Festival showcases the work of distinguished local choreographers, and partners with regional and international choreographers and dancers who perform and provides workshops as guests of the Festival. COCO also works to bring dance to children and young individuals who wouldn’t ordinarily have access to the humanities in a sustained way, while hosting programmes and initiatives that nurture young choreographers and dancers. COCO’s mission is to encourage, encourage and serve the community through creative processes and collaborative endeavours. It’s committed to enriching the dance community through multidisciplinary and culturally diverse programs, establishing a up to date artist network and enlivening the human spirit in Trinidad and Tobago and abroad through performance and choreographic study.
For interviews or further information please contact: Sonja Dumas – 788-1472; Nancy Herrera – 684-6823.
