IT'S ON

Revolution (rĕv'ə-lū'shən) A sudden or momentous change in a situation

Dear friends, a revolution is at hand! A ground swell of energetic youth is rising into a movement that is about to explode into positive change across communities on this island. Have no fear, this revolution bears no deadly weapons nor bad blood; no hostile words, nor feuding. Prepare only for an onslaught of body moves, rhythmic contortions and highly acrobatic displays. This year's IndepenDANCE FESTival is definitely on. Come on, can you hear the rumble?

IndepenDANCE FESTival, now in its third year, is a positive initiative established to foster greater interaction between communities in an environment of friendly yet competitive spirit. The island's eleven parishes are grouped into five zones- Northern, Eastern, Southern, St. Michael North and South (St. Michael being home to the largest percentage of the population). Dance is the creative tool used to bring groups from every point on the island, to perform dances of every type, before a collection of judges. Judging begins at a preliminary stage where groups perform in an almost audition style atmosphere. The structure of each dance is scrutinized and the groups are advised where improvements can be made (if necessary) and assigned a choreographer to prepare them for the next stage. The next stage of the contest is the Zone Finals. The best groups, chosen from the preliminary stages, move on to the Zone Finals. The Zone Finals mark a more "serious" stage, as only ten groups are chosen from this stage for the National Final. The top three community dance groups are chosen at the National Final, including the group that will have bragging rights to be call the number one community dance group in Barbados.

Below are some images from the inaugural Independance festival.