One of the inspiring pieces of the morning. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

For many, it is their Easter Sunday service of praise and thanksgiving. For others, it is the celebration of Jamaican cultural tradition in dance and music, in a religious format without the trappings of the church. For others, it is a celebration of a cultural institution that has survived the test of time, naysayers and even various splinter groups, created in the hope of reducing its impact and import, to emerge at the region pre-eminent dance company and iconic trailblazer. The presence of others is the singular endorsement of an institution that has come into its own to be the primary vehicle that unearths, for national consumption, the indigenous talent that would otherwise go unheralded.

Cultural outing

NDTC Easter Dance at the Little Theatre on Sunday, April 12.

Whatever the reason, the National Dance Theatre Company's (NDTC) traditional season of dance and Easter Sunday Morning of Movement and Music are calendar events. Each staging sees many lovers of the NDTC journeying from every corner of the globe to attend the ritualistic cultural outing.

They also come to pay homage to its founding artistic director and principal choreographer, Professor Rex Nettleford. With his team, they have sacrificed much over the years in their undying love of and dedication to the arts.Luvs, the tradition began over 30 years ago as a way of commemorating the life of Joyce Lalor, the first leader of the NDTC Singers.

Now, many at the time thought the six o'clock-Easter Sunday performance not only smacked of lunacy, they also thought it was doomed to failure. The hour, the time, was their primary source of contention.

Well, that was then, now in its 30th year and the morning's programme is not only synonymous with Easter and culture, for many it embodies the tenacity of the company, in its dare-to-go-where-none-has-gone-before attitude. In doing so, it provides as well as takes sustenance in the process, while charting new courses and understanding of the nexus between nation building and cultural institutions.

And so it is my dears, that not only is the NDTC an integral part of the process of self-discovery and identity, it celebrates and acts as narrator to the ever-changing circumstances of the nation and the people of the diaspora. And in this respect, each performance, is in effect, mirrors development, historical achievements (singular/individual or momentous, but always capturing the essence of the moment, especially its impact and implications.

Last Sunday's Easter morning performance was all that and then some, as for many, this was not merely putting in an appearance for the sake of being seen, it was to share in the fellowship and inspiration of the event. For the standing-room-only audience in attendance, the occasion was truly a fabulous blessings!

Favourite singers

Dears, the NDTC singers were missing two of this scribe's favourite singers: the faultlessly talented soprano Dawn Fuller-Phillips; and tenor extraordinaire, Carl Bliss. Their absence, however, did not make the ensemble any the poorer as the chorale proved equal to the musical task. The content and delivery of the repertoire ran the gamut of religious, cultural, folk and of course, inspirational.

And then my dears, there were the dancers!

Luvs, one of the gems of the Easter Sunday morning performance is the fact that over the years, guests have come to expect - the unofficial premiering of (a) new work(s) by the company. Well luvs, they did not disappoint.

Oh, Hail to the Virgin Mary! My dears, choreographer Keita Marie Chamberlain took the occasion to another level with her piece - Unconditional Love - a most arresting, captivating and awe-inspiring duet, executed by Tamara Noel and Patrick Earle, two obviously gifted and talented dancers. It was such a beautiful piece, the dialogue so arresting, the prose so compelling, yet and somehow, this scribe left the theatre, hoping to return to see this particular piece with a different male lead, as this is a masterpiece, waiting to be proclaimed!

Wanting for more

The NDTC singers were in their element, but the dance offerings could be best described using the title of one of the company's pieces, choreographed by famed dancer and choreographer, Clive Thompson - Vignettes - in that they left you wanting more.

My daahlings, this was the clearest example of what it means to "whet the appetite". It only came close to being satisfied with the performance of Psalm 150, choreographed by Professor Rex Nettleford, with music by Noel Dexter. This was executed by the company's dancers with singers and orchestra, under the baton of artistic director, Marjorie Whylie, to bring the curtain down. But, only temporarily so, as in the minds of many the real gungo is to come this summer at the NDTC's traditional season.

And dears, how, as 'Unastahili Kusifiwa', described as "a work in progress" and choreographed by Professor Nettleford; 'Ain't No Nigger Child', choreographed by Arsenio Andrade-Calderon; 'Vignettes' (the full work) choreographed by Clive Thompson, are works deserving of full airing next season, and all things considered, should be the stars of the season.

Among the notables seen were Professor Rex Nettleford; Sir Kenneth and Lady Hall; Sir Roy and Lady Augier; Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Nigel Harris and wife Dr Yvette Harris; the esteemed Richard Small and wife Yolande Lloyd Small; Former Principal of Alpha, Sister Bernadette; Dr Leighton Jackson; Hillary Phillips QC and her sister Ambassador Eleanor Sherlock; Mrs Aloun Asamba; Dr Winty Davidson and wife Dr Sonia Davidson; Professor Dr Carolyn Cooper; the very elegant Sandra Shirley; Noel Dexter; Dr Heather Lawson Myers; Glen Caise; Carmen Clarke; Richard Vassel; Sidoney Gordon Townsend; Paul Morrison; the lovely Barbara Jones; Cliff Hughes; Verica Bennett; award winning playwright Aston Cooke; Archibald Gordon; NDTC's alumna, Barbara Requa; Clive Thompson; Cheryl Hyman; Barry Moncrieffe; Mrs Bridget Spaulding; Bertie Rose; Arsenio Andrade-Calderon and wife Carol Orane; Tony Wilson and Delroy Rose; plus many others.

Kudos to the late Joyce Lalor, for inspiring such a rich tradition!!!