Junkanoo Rush Out by the Anatol Rodgers Senior High School winners of the 2014 Junior Junkanoo Parade at the Official Opening Ceremony of the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers at Atlantis Ballroom on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)

PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – Bahamian Culture took centre stage during the Official Opening Ceremony of the 19^th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers at the Atlantis ballroom on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

Moderators Val Maura and Claudette “Cookie”Allens added more Bahamian flavour with their banter and dialogue filled with jokes in the Bahamian vernacular, which evoked laughter from delegates in the packed ballroom.

The Cultural Show followed opening speeches led by the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, who reinforced the message that “every child must count and none must be left behind.”

And, although their performance preceded the cultural segment, winners of the 19^th CCEM Song Competition by St. Anne’s High School Choir with lead singer Sammie Star certainly set the tone with the winning song: “We Can Change the World.”

The well-travelled National Children’s Choir under the directorship of Patricia Bazard performed a medley of Bahamian folk songs. A popular tune “Bonefish Biting…Every Married Man Got His Own Bonefish” got the crowd bobbing to the rhythm.

Then came a captivating performance by the National Dance School – Drum and Dance Show. The students moved to pulsating sounds of goat-skinned drums, which provided the rhythmic foundation for their sensual and very skilled movements on stage in front of flags of the Commonwealth member-countries.

A Rake & Scrape trio accompanied by a duo dancing the quadrille showcased the British, African and American folkway of the Bahamian culture. This was followed by expressive poetry from National Arts Festival Winner Natasha Davis who said “Thank You” to teachers for the education she received.

The Cultural Show ended with the energetic Junkanoo Rush Out by the Anatol Rodgers Senior High School winners of the 2014 Junior Junkanoo Parade. Dancers in bright bejeweled costumes, sounds of goat-skinned drums and a brass section made for an exciting treat for the local and international delegates who danced and took snap shots of the finale.

National Dance School Administrator Derrika Grant said the Culture Show was a joint effort between the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and Ministry of Education, Science & Technology.

The objective was to show “everything Bahamian” from dancing to drumming to singing in the traditional style The Bahamas is known for, she said.

The 19^th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers is the largest gathering of the Commonwealth of Nations – outside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The 19CCEM focus is on the theme: “Quality Education for the Equitable Development: Performance, Paths, and Productivity.“