La Gracia presents ‘Nostalgia’

The La Gracia dance company definitely knows how to put on show, so when the young ladies laced up their dancing shoes last weekend,{{more}} as usual, they left their audience with much to get up out of their seats and cheer about.

With their 2012 production dubbed ‘Nostalgia’, eager patrons flocked to the Peace Memorial Hall on Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18, as the girls took persons on a trip down memory lane as part of their 10th Anniversary celebrations.

The show was held under the theme: “Yearning for the past: Embracing the Future.”

With an electric buzz surrounding the crammed venue, the juniors, intermediates and seniors danced to thunderous applause all night as they executed dance pieces from the group as far back as 2006.

The group executed 14 dance pieces, including: Praises, The many crossings, Fluidity, Bliss, Set me free, Umoja, Movements, Ritmico, The Dynamic Combination, Tribute, Synergy, Up and outwards II, Loco Loca and Roots ya.

However, while the senior dancers had all glided across the stage with much more elegance, it was the junior dancers who had the crowd in attendance smiling from ear to ear.

When they took the stage for the segment titled “Bliss”, cameras surfaced from everywhere as the young ones delivered a performance worthy of an encore.

Not only does the group consist of talented dancers, but also a handful of young models. Under the theme: “What’s your profession”, the Juniors, clad in various occupational attire, tidied their model walk and wooed the audience with their charm and poise.

Taking the short trip across the seas, the Silver Shadow Performance Arts Academy from St Lucia were the guest performers at the show. Three of the group’s dancers, Akina Randolph, Anya Edwin and Iva Stanley delivered three dance pieces, including: Sleep walking, Vocea, and Stand pipe.

Although taken up with studies in the United States, Artistic director of La Gracia Maxine Mavorn Browne let the patrons know how she felt.

In a message read by one of the group’s choreographers, Kari Da Silva, Browne said she was “deeply saddened” that she was unable to be at the event. “…But deep within, my heart smiles knowing that in spite of my absence, La Gracia was able to do so much. Who would have thought this would happen; This says a lot about the future of the La Gracia Dance Company…,” the message read.

Despite her absence, the show ran smoothly under the direction of Assistant Choreographers Delliann Browne, Kaywne Goodgie, Zoe Da Silva, Natasha Commissiong, Koriene Chance, Noella Duncan, Jodie Anthony, Kymberly Sardine and manager Sarah Commissiong.

Browne commended them for the taking La Gracia to the next level and making sure they went beyond their call of duty to ensure everything went smoothly.

She also thanked the Silver Shadow group for sharing their time and talents with the Vincentian public. Browne further thanked sponsors: SEARCHLIGHT, Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Government Printery, National Broadcasting Corporation, First Caribbean International Bank, St Vincent Teachers’ Cooperative Credit Union and Mountain Top.

Special guest appearance was made by Jais-Ann Patterson, a Vincentian Gospel artiste based in Montserrat, who debut her gospel single “Jesus set me free”.

La Gracia made their grand debut on August 1, 2002, with their production called “Freedom” at the National Emancipation Rally.