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Sexypink - Studies in Mas and Carnival Performance - NOW CLOSED - Independent Study available online in March.

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New Waves! AYITI RETROSPECTIVE #14: Fun, Hard Wuk & Acts of Faith

"Haiti looked like great fun”, wrote one.  “How was your holiday?” asked another.  All well-meaning, but.....whew! I wouldn’t describe it as such. At least, not at first. New Waves! AYITI was extraordinary. It was hard wuk. Our successes have been beautifully documented through the photography of Maria Nunes, Photographer-in-Residence. Over the course of 2 weeks, New Waves! offered 48 courses and workshops led by an international faculty of respected artists and scholars, hosted events by guest artists and artists in residence that embodied the spirit of collaboration, experimentation and creativity, created meaningful partnerships and built an inspired community through dance and performance. 

"The electricity that is generated amongst the entire New Waves family is like a spiritual fire.”

"I used to identify myself as a Haitian-American; as a Haitian-American choreographer. New Waves! AYITI has taught me that I am Haitian.” “New Waves! is SO MUCH MORE than a dance intensive."

"I realized that New Waves AYITI was beyond the group. New Waves! AYITI extends into the community for social justice, gender relations, economic development, cultural studies, philosophical context, historical linage and sacred practice."

Anne Eller, Assistant Professor of History at Yale University delivered “All would be equal in effort: Santo Domingo's 'Italian Revolution', Independence and Haiti” about the relationships between Haiti and the Dominican Republic in the 1800s, and why many anti-Haitian myths from the Dominican Republic in the 20th and 21st century rely on a distortion of this history. Thomas DeFrantz, Professor of African and African-American Studies at Duke University co-presented "Contemporary Performance and Experimental Dance: Staging a Recognizable Traditional” with Joan Burroughs. Joan also later presented “Accessing Spirit: Models & Visions” during our visit to the Katherine Dunham Cultural Center.  Dasha Chapman, PhD candidate in Performance Studies at NYU, and Yonel Charles, Founder and Choreographer of GRAN LAKOU, talked with us about creating and sustaining a queer dance company in Haiti.  Artist-in-Residence, Adeola Dewis, holds a President’s Award scholarship for PhD research at Cardiff University. Adeola’s project “Play Yuhself” engages with improvised performances that move from conscious to less-conscious movement.  For New Waves! AYITI, it held a vital ritual space that when considered alongside University of Puerto Rico Professor Lowell Fiet's “Mask Making & Performance Acts”, really cleared the space for entering Michelle Gibson’s “Second Line Aesthetic”.  All of that was underscored by Chris Walker’s "Caribbean Dance: Principles & Aesthetics”, a holistic study of Caribbean dance foundation concepts. Our learning of Haitian Folkloric and Contemporary Dance was guided by remarkable Haitian teachers - Jean Appolon, Jean-Rene Delsoin, Jean-Aurel Maurice, and Yonel Charles. We were honoured to talk with a force of Haitian dance and culture - Emerante des Pradines Morse - and engage with Jean-Sebastien Duvilaire, a contemporary dance artist based in Abricot.

There's more. Brittany Williams reminded us that “It is the Blood That Dances”. She also co-taught "Family Folklore Fun", which followed Michelle Murray's "Children's Movement Exploration". Alongside our partnership with the Jean Appolon Summer Dance Institute, these classes opened up the New Waves! program to youth. There was no Commission Project this year, but the Rencontre at Exadans filled the space beautifully.  The Institute is an independent artist-run organization with a staff of 1.5. Making New Waves! AYITI happen was an act of remembering the blessings. 

The balance of all that goodness, manifested in very real Challenges, with all kinds of meanings. Limits of movement due to international immigration policies meant Djenane St. Juste never made it home to join us. As director of the Institute, I missed her presence in navigating the male-dominated dance space. Male domination turned a partnership agreement to dust in the wind after Dieufel La Misère patted me on the chin and physically picked me up during a conversation. It was deep. We had challenges with the schedule which intersected with our challenges with language and translation. We needed more time. For the space. We had challenges with money due to unexpected costs. We had challenges with checking our privilege as individuals and as an institution in this new Haitian landscape. We had challenges with creating a space where participants had agency, while being mindful of the Institute's responsibilities, goals and visions. When I look back at it in my mind’s eye, some moments are cry worthy. Others, are full of joy.

Because there is, actually, much truth about it being “fun”. For 3 weeks in Haiti and together with New Waves! Program Director, Chris Walker, I’d met with local artists and institutions to build partnerships; booked, confirmed, and re-confirmed accommodations for 25 international participants who both arrived and departed from Haiti in waves; ordered, confirmed, re-ordered and re-confirmed group meals; conducted business with local market women for some of those meals; gorged on mangoes; gulped te de citrón (me) and Haitian coffee (Chris); danced on the balcony of the Hotel Oloffson during RAM's performance for 2 evenings, which resulted in exclamations of “That’s my song!” on the second; conducted all financial and business aspects - like haggling with tap-tap drivers - in a mix of Kreyol, French, and English (I quickly and unfortunately learned the effective strategy of letting tall, dark, handsome Jamaican man handle all the business); moved hotels rooms like 5 times to end up ultimately with the most gracious, FUN host any human being could be blessed with: Jean-Aurel Maurice. For days, with him, we taught classes for one another’s Institutions; laughed hysterically in the dark; told stories of home and of dancing abroad; limed and learned to make huareng the proper Haitian way. We strategized, dreamed, cooked, shared knowledge, developed scholarship, made budgets, took dance classes, shared a bed with my 4-year old, swam in the sea at La Saline, rode a bike taxi up and down Jacmel, limed in PauP hoods, ate copious amounts of pikliz and carried around a container of piman in our bags, such was the love. On the final day of New Waves! AYITI at the Palm Inn Hotel in Delmas, Port au Prince, Chris and I had a well-deserved morning of swimming in the pool and chatting about how much hard wuk New Waves! AYITI was. He leaned back on a lounge chair, looked at me  and said, “That was fun.”  I laughed sweetly and said, “Yes, yes it was fun.”   Let’s Dance!

Makeda Thomas at the Katherine Dunham Cultural Center in Martissant, Port au Prince, Haiti. Photo by Anthony Summer Minerva. 

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New Waves! AYITI Retrospective #1: Giving Thanks

New Waves! Institute Founding Director, Makeda Thomas, in a brief talk with New Waves! AYITI participants on the morning of Wednesday, 30 July at Hotel Oloffson: There are many people who made New Waves! AYITI possible. There is so much to give thanks for. New Waves! AYITI programs in Port au Prince were made possible in collaboration and partnership with Haiti Cultural Exchange, Ecole Nacional des Artes, Centre de Danse Compagnie Jean-Rene Delsoin, and Jean Appolon Summer Dance Institute. We give thanks to Regine Roumain, Philipe Dodard, Gerda Boigunené Samson, Erol Josue, Daniel Morel, Emerante des Pradines, Richard Morse and RAM for sharing their stage with us on our Opening Night, Miguel, Stephanie Scherpf, Patricia and the entire staff of Hotel Oloffson. New Waves! AYITI programs in Jacmel were made possible in collaboration and partnership with Jacmel Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries (MTIC), Ms. Dithny Joan Raton,the Regional Director of MTCI, Lydie Krauchi, FOSAJ - Fanal Otantik Sant D'A Jakmel, Gran Lakou, and Exadans - Espace Xaragua pour la danse. We give thanks to Yonel Charles, Jean Aurel-Maurice, Luckner "Prince Luc" Candio, Jean, James Beaubrun, Yves, Billete, and the entire staff at Hotel Florita. We even thank Dieufel Lamisere and Dance to Save Lives. We all had a role to play on this journey and I give thanks for every aspect of it. I've learned so much. We give thanks for the Magic and Power of Haiti. We give thanks for the Ancestors, the Orisha, the Goddesses and Gods, the Spirits, the Lwa for giving Joan the dance of vitality; for the grace and empowerment of ephebism in our midst.  We give thanks to those same spirits for bringing Summer back. For bringing Summer forward with us as we continue our journey.  We give thanks for the women whose hands have prepared our meals and filled our bellies. We give thanks for the wait of their delicious food; for we can be patient, because are fortunate and have eaten plenty. We give thanks for finding a way to provide food to our entire community - local and international - despite limited resources. We give thanks for our safe journeys throughout Haiti - around town in Port au Prince, up to Petionville, to Jacmel and on our return to Port au Prince; as we joined the Kanaval des Fleurs yesterday. We give thanks. We give thanks and in our gratitude asked to be returned safely to our homes across the globe.

How are we returning? How have we changed? As individuals and as an Institute? What are some of the questions we have that will open up new futures unimaginable before this experience? How do we maintain cultural specificity in a diasporic space that enables connection and collaboration? What are our strategies for fostering an environment of respect while challenging the systems of imperialisation and colonization that prevent critical discourse? What are the possibilities for an ongoing partnership with Haitian dance communities? How can New Waves! contribute to the shared development and education of dancers, teachers and researchers throughout the Caribbean diaspora in Haiti? How has New Waves! maintained its core as a site of experimentation and creativity; as a site of myth-making and reality checking? What has been the social value of shared meals during New Waves!? Of all the informal talks? Of our travels together? How do we, as individuals, fit into the matrix of what this experience has been for the collective? How does New Waves! engage professional faculty whose work reflect its pedagogical philosophy of care and building community in and out of the studio space? How does New Waves! continue to be a safe space for all while moving through a Caribbean region currently in heated dialogue on the rights of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer people? How does New Waves!, as an organization, sustain its programs while remaining independent and autonomous? What are the expectations of an international collective and dance artists and scholars interested in the diasporic studies? What is our call? How have we answered? What are some questions you have? What are you thankful for?

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Carnival Studies Mas Colloquium 2014 - University of the West Indies

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Makeda Thomas @ UWI's Carnival Studies Mas Colloquium 2014. Here renowned Caribbean dancer/scholar Makeda Thomas discusses the value of the dancing body to Mas performance and the idea of Mas as performance art. This short but compact talk delightfully raises questions about the embodiment of the spirit and meaning in mas performance. Makeda is nothing less than a poetic light in this. - Kenwyn Murray, Mas: History, Meaning & Development.

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"Mas Aesthetics:The Art of Mas" was hosted on April 10th 2014. The list of presenters also included Tony Hall, Marvin George, Robert Young, Patrick Roberts, Hazel Franco, Peter Samuel, Eustace Pierre, Arnaldo James,Trinidad Carnival Diary, Mark Lyndersay and Dr. Kevin Browne. the moderators were Kenwyn Crichlow, Louis Mc Williams and Dr. Marsha Pearce. The opening remarks were from Mr. Kenwyn Crichlow and the closing remarks were delivered by Dr.Jo-anne Tull. The Colloquium is a product of the Carnival studies Unit, Department of Creative and festival Arts, UWI. Photography by Warren Le Platte. Let's Dance!

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Salon # 1: Pedagogy

Thursday, 7 January 2010 at 7pm at The Republic of Sydenham, Port of Spain.

With Makeda Thomas (Institute Director), Artists in Residence, Sonja Dumas (Artistic Director and Choreographer of CONTINUUM), Nicole Wesley (Associate Professor, Academy for the Performing Arts, The University of Trinidad & Tobago), and Attillah Springer (IDAKEDA)

  Sonja Dumas

Sonja Dumas is a performer, choreographer, writer and arts development consultant in Trinidad and Tobago. She integrates filmmaking with her choreographic works and has written, directed and produced or co-produced six experimental dance film shorts to date. She is the founder and artistic director of the Continuum Dance Project and is a consultant to the dance programme at Academy for the Performing Arts at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, where she lectures in dance and performance studies. 

Nicole Wesley

Since 2008, Wesley had led the dance program within the Academy for the Performing Arts at The University of Trinidad and Tobago, where she has been developing, authoring and implementing the country’s first Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Program in Dance and Dance Studies.  From 2004 to 2008, Wesley was an assistant professor of dance at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Wesley received an M.F.A. in dance from Texas Woman's University and a B.F.A. in dance from The University of Texas at Austin. She is a certified Laban movement analyst (CLMA), receiving her certification through integrated movement studies at The University of Utah. Her research interests include:

community building through authentic performance (The JUSTICE Project)

Laban movement analysis (LMA) as a methodology in the realm of technical training and performance process

Attillah Springer

Attillah Springer is a writer and activist born in Trinidad. Springer is interested in using media for advocacy and activism particularly for those whose voices remain silenced by mainstream agendas. She is Director of Idakeda, which develops programmes designed to impact youth audiences, NGOs and Community Based Organisations (CBOs). With her skills as a journalist and writer, Attillah has worked both as a facilitator and coordinator, successfully conducting workshops with hundreds of students across Trinidad and Tobago.