The National Dance School of The Bahamas made a recent trip to Havana, Cuba, April 20 to 25, 2014, to do a dance and drum workshop at the Cuban National School of Dance. Eleven top students (8 dancers and 3 drummers) from the school were chosen to attend this workshop and were accompanied by three staff members and two parents. The students participated in master classes in Cuban Contemporary Dance Technique, Cuban Folkloric Dance and Cuban Folkloric Drumming and received achievement certificates at the end of the workshop. During their stay they attended the world renowned “Tropicana” show and the famous “Ballet Nacional de Cuba”.

The students were informed of the process that Cuba takes to create professional artists. From the first audition at 8 years old through the 8 to 11 years of training to the final exam to become a professional performer or teacher, Cuba is able to produce some of the world’s best artists. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and did their best to represent their country during the workshop. Their eyes were opened to what it means to be a professional dancer or drummer and the training that it takes to achieve professionalism.

Cuban Folkloric Drumming

Traveling were the following:

Dance Students Drum Students:
Shereika Beckford – 22yrs
Desean Smith – 17yrs
Chase Miller – 20yrs
John Chipman-Burrows – 13yrs
Tavnoia Sturrup – 20yrs
Brandon Crawley – 16yrs
Paige Sturrup – 18yrs
Denzell Wallace – 16yrs
Philencia Huyler – 15yrs
Jahmai Grant – 14yrs
Mackenzie Peet – 13yrs

AND Staff Members Parents:
Dereka Deleveaux-Grant – Administrator
O’Lanna Crawley
Maydi Bacalllao-Williams – Instructor
Hamutle Nichols Mitzi e Chipman – Instructor