THE EDITOR, Sir:
ALTHOUGH I claim no fame equal to that of well-known civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I too have a dream. A dream that one day, all Jamaicans will have equal opportunities and will be free from the awful realities of the "great political divide" which currently exists in this country. A day when Jamaicans will not be categorised as "PNP" or "JLP" supporters, or as belonging to one particular constituency or another, but rather, simply as Jamaican citizens.
I have a dream that one day all Jamaicans will feel free to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in all forms throughout the length and breadth of this island, whether it is found in the so-called JLP stronghold of Tivoli Gardens or PNP stronghold of Arnette Gardens! I have arrived at this conclusion based on my personal experience over the past few years (and what a delightful one it has been) with the Tivoli Gardens High School Dance Troupe.
Each year that I have had the opportunity to attend their annual season of dance held for just one weekend at the Little Theatre in Kingston, I have noted the consistent improvement in the production. I hasten to add that this is not just my private opinion, as the Jamaica Cultural Development Corporation (JCDC) awarded them 15 gold medals for their 16 entries at this year's national dance competition! This is one more than the medal haul of 14 achieved in 2001.
Despite this obvious trend of excellence in dance, I am always puzzled and saddened by the less than full capacity in the theatre. The entire production is of such a high standard that I believe they could easily have sold-out performances for the entire weekend if the negatives of the "political divide" were not stacked against them. In spite of this reality, the troupe plays on, unhindered in their efforts to present an excellent production to those who will attend. It is obvious that someone has done an outstanding job of harnessing talents and nurturing these young Jamaicans, thereby instilling in them the necessary dedication, discipline and determination to enable them to consistently perform at such a high standard.
This year's production was appropriately entitled "Eureka". However, I would like to break that down into words like: electrifying, enthralling, entertaining, effervescent, exhilarating and sheer excellence! With all that's wrong in Jamaica, I want to celebrate the great achievements of these young Jamaicans and their choreographer, Mrs. Jennifer Morgan-Garwood who make up the Tivoli Gardens High School Dance Troupe/National Dance Competitions. Keep up the excellent work, this is definitely a positive and a shining example of what's right in Jamaica.
I am, etc.,
M.O. FRANCIS
Kingston 6
