An exciting slate of twenty-one international choreographers will light up the stage at Queen’s Hall as the COCO Dance Festival returns to in person-performances from Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 October at 6:00pm, following a two year pivot to online-only shows, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live and ‘dance on film’ performances from Jamaica, Barbados, the USA and Mexico, along with some of the very best from Trinidad and Tobago will once again put the spotlight on contemporary dance and the choreographers who drive it.
The Best of T&T Dance
As part of the Festival, COCO will be honouring the work of the late Astor Johnson, whose company, The Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and will perform the 1979 classic, Stay Up Zimbabwe – one of Johnson’s early works which has been performed at home and abroad to standing ovations and critical acclaim. The Repertory Dance Theatre will also present a workshop for younger generations of dancers to understand Johnson’s technique and philosophy of dance.
Other on-stage performances include Overcoming – a commentary on facing adversity and bouncing back, choreographed by Trinidadian-born Terry Springer – a highly acclaimed international dance artist who choreographed performances at the opening ceremony of Carifesta XIV in 2019.
While Deon Baptiste’s Tribute to OYA!, will celebrate the powerful female orisha goddess of wind, change and transformation, in a performance that mixes modern and folk, as it delves in and out of authentic Orisa movements.
The International Slate
Also on stage will be Konflikt II•IV. by Mexican-American choreographer, Daniel Garcia, which explores the intimacy and power of human connectivity, juxtaposed against the discomfort of being constricted by it. The dance on film performances, which will be screened each evening, include: Minding the Void, by US choreographer Tate J Navarro- a piece which interrogates what it might look like if the feelings we keep bottled up, finally got a moment in the light.
The COCO Dance Festival will also be live streamed to enable audiences abroad to tune in and enjoy.
For more information on COCO events, visit COCO Dance Festival on Facebook or contact: cocodanceinfo@gmail.com Tickets cost $150 and are available at the Queen’s Hall box office. A group discount of five tickets for $500 can be reserved via COCO Dance Festival on Facebook.
About COCO Dance Festival
Now in its fourteenth year, the Contemporary Choreographers’ Collective (COCO) Dance Festival showcases the work of prominent local choreographers, and partners with regional and international choreographers and dancers who perform and give workshops as guests of the Festival. COCO also works to bring dance to children and young people who would not ordinarily have access to the arts in a sustained way, while hosting programmes and initiatives that nurture young choreographers and dancers. COCO’s mission is to inspire, encourage and serve the community through creative processes and collaborative endeavours. It is committed to enriching the dance community through multidisciplinary and culturally diverse programs, establishing a contemporary artist network and enlivening the human spirit in Trinidad and Tobago and abroad through performance and choreographic study.
For interviews or further information please contact: Sonja Dumas – 788-1472; Nancy Herrera – 684-6823.
