Children move in a synchronized single line, their steps in sync with each other and the music. School aged kids clad in multicolor costumes leap, pirouette and sashay across the stage in a kaleidoscope of motion. Teens and adults employ body movement, mannerisms and music to tell a story and entertain. Caribbean Dance School (CDS) will give its 18th annual spring recital at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12, at Reichhold Center for the Arts.
“In the midst of the challenges and stress of our daily lives, we are surrounded by the wellsprings of hope and joy: our children. Our students, through lively expression, are gaining a legacy of responsibility, cooperation and health for now and in the future,” said Monty Thompson, artistic director and one of the founders of CDS and the Caribbean Dance Company. Thompson, a native of Trinidad; Jill Thompson, a long time St. Croix resident; and Curliss Solomon-John, a native born Crucian formed the dance company on St. Croix in 1977 and the St. Thomas branch of the school in 1993.
CDS is the official school of the dance company and is one of the largest youth service organizations, one of the oldest surviving non-profits and the only independent cultural agency in the territory devoted to traditional Caribbean cultural performances at home and abroad. Over the years, the school has taught hundreds of young people. Currently, there are 450 students enrolled in the schools on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Some students have eventually become part of the Caribbean Dance Company.
Over the last 12 years, the CDC has performed in 56 states and countries, ranging from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region to Europe, Israel and Africa. Tickets for the performance are available from CDS students or at the door at Reichhold Center for $15 per person.
For more information, call 778-8824 or 227-9209.
