History The National School of Dance was established in 1974. With the inaugural CARIFESTA in 1972, Guyana, for the first time realized its full potentialities of dance as a national expression. A three month dance workshop was conducted in 1973 at the Umana Yana by Lavina Williams. Williams was an American born Lavina Williams, an American born who adopted Haiti as her second home having lived and studied traditional dance there for over twenty-five years, conducted a three month dance workshop in 1973 at the Umana Yana. Following this, projections were made for the building of a dance studio and place the training of the first batch of dance teachers.  Madame Lavina Williams returned to Haiti for approximately three (3) months and during her absence Ms. Saskia Luckoo conducted the classes, which were held at the teachers Union Hall in Woolford Avenue. Lavina Williams returned to Guyana and spear-headed the training of the first batch of teachers, who graduated in December 1974. . Mrs. Mildred Lowe who later became chairman of the Department of Culture and Vivienne Daniel one of the principal choreographers of the National School of Dance and National Dance Company were among the first group of graduates. At that time students were required to pay a minimal fee to attend classes. There were five levels of teaching, these being Beginners, Preliminary, Elementary, Intermediate and Advance.  The National School of Dance opened its doors  in the National Park in 1975 with only  one benab. The other benabs were acquired over the years as additional studios. This unique location is very conducive to dance as the studios are away from the noise of the everyday traffic.  Madame Lavina Williams was the sole director and instructor of the dance school from 1974 to 1976. Pamela Moseley-Williams and Linda Griffith worked as understudies with Lavina from 1975 until she departed. Other persons who worked in the interim until a new director was appointed were Malcom Hall, Monica Vieria, and Sonja Abbott. In 1977 Geraldo Lastra , a Cuban, became the new Director and  continued the work of  Lavina Williams.  In 1978 he introduced a new dimension, the formal auditioning of students and in 1979 the formation of the National Dance Company consisting of from the advance class of the National School of Dance. Linda Griffith and Vivienne Daniel trained graduate teachers were members of this first group. Ms. Daphne Rogers assumed duties as Administrator of the National School of Dance and the National Dance Company after Geraldo Lastra returned to Cuba and continued in this position. She was also directly responsible for co-coordinating the Dance Teachers Training Programe until she assumed duties as administrator of the National Cultural Center.  After Lavina Williams’ departure the school benefited from tuition from Cuban instructors in mainly modern and classical ballet training. The successors of these Cuban instructors were Guyanese dancers who have successfully completed the Dance Teachers Course.  Deryck Reid, a trained classical dancer who studied dance in Cuba assumed directorship from September 1980 to 1986. He was succeeded by Phillip McClintock from 1983 to 1986. Phillip, an exponent in Khatak dance received a scholarship for training in India. He was also instrumental in helping to forge a unique Guyanese style with amalgamation of the various dance styles learnt over the years. Linda Griffith M.S. assumed office in 1987 after the death of Phillip Mc Clintock and continues in that position. Students who reach the Advance level in the school are drafted into the Company. Some have been given the privilege of performing in other schools and Companies in the Caribbean and North America. Students from the school continue to be chosen to perform with the National Dance Company on several of its tours and also at Carifesta in St. Kitts Nevis in 2000, Suriname 2004, Trinidad,and 2006 and Guyana 2008.The school operates its programmes on a daily basis through technique classes in Modern Dance, Classical Ballet, Khatak, African dance, Contemporary, Caribbean dance styles along with Guyanese traditional dances. This was extracted from Guyanas Ministry of Culture, Youths and Sports Webpage: culture.mcys.gov.gy/national-school-of-dance/history/
Posted on: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:12:16 +0000
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