Nettleford

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

African heirlooms and stacks of books dominate Rex Nettleford's cluttered office at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus. After shuffling through reams of paper, the institution's former vice-chancellor comes up with a press release outlining the National Dance Theatre Company's (NDTC) new season.

The NDTC, formed by Nettleford and Eddie Thomas at the dawn of Jamaica's independence from Britain, celebrates its 45th anniversary this year. The upcoming season, under the theme 'Renewal and Continuity', starts on July 20 at the Little Theatre in St. Andrew.

Nettleford, the UWI's 74-year-old vice-chancellor Emeritus, is still at the helm. As if weary of indifferent reviews to recent seasons, he said 'Renewal and Continuity' sums up the current mood of the Caribbean's most recognised creative dance group.

"Renewal and continuity speaks to a whole new generation of artists, particularly the dancers," an animated Nettleford told The Sunday Gleaner recently. "Dance has really taken on a new life in Jamaica - It's an exciting period."

Some of the persons who have helped Nettleford create some of the NDTC's most exciting moments, such as former dancers Barry Moncrieffe and Bridgett Spaulding (formerly Casserly), are involved in 'Renewal and Continuity', which is scheduled to last three weeks.

The new season coincides with the bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in Africans. Nettleford, who is part of a Government-appointed committee overseeing year-long events marking that occasion, said the NDTC will pay homage to the millions of Africans who were enslaved.

Staples such as 'The Crossing', 'Ritual of The Sunrise' and 'Kumina', which speak to the African experience, will be performed. Among the new works is 'Rhythm of The Gods' by Haitian choreographer Jean-Guy Saintus.

Handing over

Nettleford, charcoal black in complexion with grey, thinning hair, stated that 'Renewal and Continuity' is not just celebrating a landmark. "The truth is we are handing over to the new generation," he said.

Nettleford and Bert Rose were kindred spirits who were passionate about creative dance when they formed the NDTC. They had performed in the established Ivy Baxter Dance Group, but had an eagerness to express their culture through Afro-inspired themes.

Trelawny-born Nettleford said he was influenced by the traditional folk presence in his parish. Later, he moved to Kingston and joined the Baxter group, after which he left for Britain where he attended Oxford University.

Nettleford credits a buoyant Caribbean student population in Britain in the late 1950s for strengthening his regional commitment. He said it also inspired him to form his own dance group when he returned to Jamaica, but it was also important to find like-minded collaborators. "You have to remember we were coming at the end of the self-government movement and we had to find self-expression on our own terms," Nettleford explained. "I worked closely with Eddie Seaga on the thing of cultural development, because if you really wanted to get at the people, you had to appeal to their creative imagination."

Stigma

The NDTC has done just that in its over four decades as a company, performing to appreciative audiences on every continent except Africa. Over the years, it has paid tribute to Jamaican pop culture by incorporating the music of Marley and Tosh and sounds of the modern dancehall. The appreciation has not always been returned. In the past, Nettleford has blamed the dearth of male dancers on the long-held Jamaican stigma that men involved in creative dance are homosexuals.

Yet, he is not bothered by the mainstreams perceived lack of respect and acceptance of the NDTC. "They (mainstream) do accept it you know, but without even knowing it. You see, it's inter-textual," he said. "Television has helped a lot, because there are people who see me on the street and they say, 'the man who dance'! That means they have made the connection."

The NDTC will perform in South Florida and Canada once its local run ends. It then moves on to Britain, New York and The Bahamas.