Barbadian dancer shares experience with local dancers

Anyone can dance but that does not mean the person is a performer.

Barbadian professional dancer, producer and choreographer, Oral Welshman shared this view last Friday during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT.{{more}}

Welshman was in St Vincent conducting a one-week dance workshop at the Alliance Française in Kingstown.

The dancer for more than 20 years said his main objective is to share his experience with local dancers.

Over the past three months, Welshman has conducted dance workshops in Jamaica and Trinidad, with St Vincent being his third stop, before going on to another Caribbean islands sharing his knowledge.

While on island, Welshman is teaching dancers how to use the stage, how to project and how to develop various dance styles.

“It’s good to develop more than one technique.

“It’s good to have a basic training knowing how to handle your posture and knowing your body. And that helps you, no matter what type of dancing you are doing. If you have a basic training, you become a better dancer,” Welshman stated.

The workshop began on February 27, with Caribbean folk dance.

The next day, the participants were exposed to modern dancing. Friday was African and on Saturday, Hip Hop.

Welshman said the reception from participants was exceptional.

“The persons that were there, they enjoyed it,” he added.

He however noted that dancing is not just fun.

“It’s a profession and an art form that contributes to positive development of youth.”

Meanwhile, Pearl Williams Director for Beautex International SVG and the individual responsible for bringing Welshman to St Vincent said she met Welshman during a visit to Barbados last year and was impressed by his work and requested his assistance to toward developing the art form here.

“During heritage month, they have these little dance groups and I think the intention is very good, but sometimes the co-ordination, the eye contact, using the stage and proper presentation is absent.

“…hence the reason why I told Mr Welshman, there is a need here in St Vincent to enhance the dance and performing arts here. “

Williams noted that Welshman’s visit to St Vincent is very important.

“What I look at too is when the PM (Prime Minister) has a presentation or some form of celebration, maybe at his house, the costuming is very poor and the presentation is very poor. So when these visitors have this poor experience, they smile and tell us in our face ‘ohh the dancing was very good.’

“But they know for a fact, based on where they came from, they very well know it wasn’t very well executed. So we have to be very honest with ourselves and realize that we have room for our art form development. Cry out and say this is what we need so that our youth can express themselves on any stage,” Williams further stated.

The dance workshop concluded on Wednesday.(AA)