Dance – moving a community closer

Dance generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.

How many of you remember during the eighties, here in Barbados when groups of young men travelled around some communities armed with rolled up linoleum and a large “beatbox”? It was breakdance war in the streets back then. Clashes between Webopp 2 in St. Michael and … in the famous Studio 10, or on Combermere home turf. Young men, some educated, some not walking around looking to share some serious dance licks.

In fact, some names at that time became household names – Fonzie, Jamal, Ramoun, Ricky Taylor and others not to mention, earlier dance heroes from the funking seventies like Brazain, Sheriff, Ghost, I C & I am. Some of these names when called today still ring “sweet” of the good old party days at Skate on, Rendezvous Room, Unicorn 1 and the Djs that made feting the necessary weekend activity. The dancers of these times, the fete venues and the Djs – Anthony lowhar, Franz Phillips, Eddie Cheeseman all rightfully called “old School” bring to mind an era when dance was a great binding force that held some of communities together.

Today, the scene has changed a bit but dance is still very much alive around Barbados. The difference maybe the amazing widening of dance genres. In the seventies and eighties there were three main groups of weekend dance activities. The late thirty and older group worked up their sweat at “Dances” – Socials where mostly music of the fifties, sixties and early seventies (oldies) was played. Couples danced to the music Sam Cooke, Brooke Benton, Skeeter Davis, Paul Anka…you get the picture. Under thirties were split into two groups – those that partied to the latest (now old school) r&b, pop and funk, with a little reggae and calypso thrown in. The other group was the roots group, they flocked the “dub outs”. Dances where “dub”, hardcore reggae was played for the entire “session”.

Young dancers from competing groups at a recently organized Inter-community Social

The scene is way more varied today. On the social scene you can find clubs and night clubs where the hottest dances from around the Americas and further world are performed. Everything from professional ballroom and Latin to Jamaican Passa Passa. During this years Independance Festival groups are even competing with their versions of line dance. Many young men still want to do dance battle, and popping, waving, head spinning and scrambling are still moves in their repertoire, but gone are the "congoleum" and big radios, and now there are opportunities (at least once a year) where these skills can be put to use on a national scale for big prize monies. Dancers, young and old from across the island, can participate in the annual Independance Festival, a great outlet for their skills and talents and a powerful tool that can bring communities closer.