Creative Arts Industry loses one of its dancers

Troy Longsworth

The Creative Arts industry has lost one of its own; dancer and choreographer Troy Longsworth, passed away at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital around three o’clock this morning. Longsworth was hospitalized for days, battling with pneumonia. He was a dancer with the Belize Dance Company for seven years performing on local and international stages. Longsworth was well known to us at this station; he partnered with Ameera Marin and placed second in the First Season of Duets. And this year, he competed in the first season of Superstar. Marin spoke to News Five today about the loss to the dancing community.

Ameera Marin, Dancer

Ameera Marin

“I got a phone call this afternoon after lunch by a close friend; a dance member of mine. She informed me that Troy Longsworth passed away; a former dancer of the Belize Dance Company. I was shock by the sad news that he passed away at about three o’clock this morning.  This is practically our third loss for this year 2012. Our first one was a drummer, Allen; our second was a recognizable individual and idol for the dance company who was professor, Eduardo Rivero and now Troy Longsworth, a dancer who was part of the Belize Dance Company. Actually Troy started to dance with Belize Dance Company between the year of 2005/2006. He had started with a dance company by Greg Vernon, Equinox. And in 2005 he started with the dance company. I started dancing with Troy since then. And we were actually supposed to go to Europe in this year 2012, but he didn’t go and I didn’t go because of certain circumstances. He was actually my partner in 2008 for the Duets Competition here that Channel 5 hosted. Excellent partner; second place in the competition and memories to last a lifetime during that competition. We danced here in Belize, throughout the country, different districts. We actually travelled to Nicaragua while I was in sixth form. He was my partner throughout the time before I had another partner. Troy and I used to dance a lot together. He was one of the best dancers the Belize Dance Company had ever evolved. He evolved into a great dancer; one that the company will never forget. Belize saw him on national TV; we place second place on the Duets and memories throughout that competition I will never forget—throughout that and other dance anniversaries for the Belize Dance Company.”

Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.