RUSH: Winners of the inaugural Community Indepen-Dance Festival tantalising the audience.

The school-based group RUSH has won the first Community Indepen-Dance Festival.

They “danced” away with the coveted title before a large audience at the Garfield Sobers Complex last night. In addition to winning the Prime Minister’s Award of $2500 and a beautiful trophy, they also won the Most Impactful title.

RUSH is a combined group of students from the Combermere and Queen’s College schools, who have been practising and performing together for one month. An obvious crowd favourite, RUSH performed a piece entitled “The Mix”, which featured hip hop dance with classic Bajan hits.

Praise Academy placed second, taking the Esme Wickham Award of $2000, while Demolition $quad took the third position and the Joyce Stuart Award of $1500. Dancin’ Africa won Best Choreography, while LIFE won the Best Community Spirited Group.

Praise Academy placed second.

The other competing groups were Haynesville Youth Club, Vortex V.I.P “Central Point Revelers”, Vortex V.I.P. “Old School Meets New”, Dancin’ Africa and Barbados Ballroom Traveling Team.

During the near five-hour show, the audience, who included many young people, showed appreciation for the various types of dance, as the dancers tantalised and mesmerised patrons.

A section of the crowd, including Minister of Social Transformation, Trevor Prescod, enjoying the show

In addition, they were treated to a special commissioned piece, “Reflections – Then and Now”, which traced the story of dance over the past 40 years. Some of the island’s outstanding dance groups, namely Israel Lovell Foundation, Dancin’ Africa Company Members, Urban Dance Group and the Barbados Ballroom Traveling Team entertained the spectators with ballroom, spouge, hip hop and calypso pieces.

Also receiving awards for their significant contribution to dance were Danny Hinds, Gene Carson, Tyrone Trotman, Kelvin Carvalho, and Mary Waithe. Captain Vernon Watson was not present and will receive his at a later date.

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