Dance X 2017 Rocks the Bliss
The seventh annual Dance X opened on Thursday night in Belize City at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts with a free show featuring Anabella Pareja from Mexico and Belize’s very own Ballet Arts. In the next few minutes, the Bliss and Cayo Welcome Center will come alive with day two of performances from Belizean and international dancers. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The eighth edition of Dance X 2017 commenced on Thursday night and for the next three days will see dancers from Belize, Cuba, Mexico, the U.S. and Trinidad take to stages across the country, putting on display their talents in various genres in the creative art of dance. It is the brainchild of two artists, including Acting Director of the Institute of Creative Arts, Karen Vernon.
Karen Vernon
Karen Vernon, Acting Director, ICA
“Tonight, we have shows in Belize City and Cayo and on Saturday we have Belize City, Orange Walk and Dangriga…so Dance X is branching out to the districts. Every year, we try to add on a district and keep what we have so that eventually we are everywhere. We have the modern, of course we have the folk traditional dances that you will see. Hip Hop is big; especially from Toledo, we have three different groups out of Toledo doing Hip Hop. Jamry is back; I think for his fifth year, Clique Revolution that we just saw for the high school show, I think this is their second year and they will be traveling to the districts as well. So it has brought on a revolution of dance in Belize in all different genres and I am happy to see that dance is growing and the continuity is there.”
Unfortunately this year, Belizean artistic director and dancer Jamie Thompson was unable to return from the U.S. for this year’s event, but Dance X will be nothing short of a spectacle. Various Belizean groups and solo performers will showcase their talent in areas of Hip Hop and ballet. Toledo’s Clique Revolution and Belize City’s Jaylan Craig are two must see performances.
Jaylan Craig
Jaylan Craig, Dancer
“I’ve been dancing since I was three years old and coming back just for Dance X this weekend it’s been a very exciting experience. I have participated in Dance X a couple times with Miss Sisty and her Vista Dance Studio and with the Belize National Dance Company. But this is my first year, going solo, showing what I have been learning throughout the years. It’s my piece; I choreographed it. I planned the costume, the makeup, the hair and I get to do all of that and to perform it.”
Wilvin Shal
Wilvin Shal, Clique Revolution
“Dancing is like expressing our feeling, bringing people together and we decided to be a part of Dance X, Street Fest next year.”
Duane Moody
“So what do you want people to take away when they see your performance?”
Norvel Chuc,
Norvel Chuc, Clique Revolution
“Well we just want to inspire them because a lot of these days, these youths just be doing all sort of things. So we want to inspire them that you can come to dancing and feel that relief and just be a part of something big and better.”
On display will not only be a few weeks of prepared pieces, but years of training and practicing by the performers to perfect their art. Trinidadians Alison and Marlon from the Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre will perform both a duet and a solo piece, the latter shows homage to Bob Marley.
Alison Guerra Seepaul
Alison Guerra Seepaul, Astor Johnson Repertory Theatre
“Astor Johnson’s work spans many genres because he was influenced by modern, by ballet…but mainly it is rooted in the folk; the folk of our region. But he used these styles to make universal statements.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
