ONE of St Lucia’s most revered dance instructors the late Virginia Alexander will be honoured during the National Arts Festival (NAF) which gets underway later this month.
Alexander or Auntie Virgie, as she was affectionately known, died eight years ago. She was renowned for her role as pioneer and leader of the dance movement in Saint Lucia. She trained and guided the cream of the country’s dance talent over four decades. This was anchored by her formation and development of her now legendary dance troupe- the Les Enfants Dancers.
Equally important was Virgie’s role a lead producer of the National Youth Rallies which have now became the highlights of independence celebrations. She made a tremendous contribution to the promotion of arts and culture in the school system and served as producer and artistic director of the Queen Show for several years. She is also remembered for being an integral part of many Saint Lucian cultural contingents that represented St Lucia at regional and international events including CARIFESTA and the Francophone Festival.
Aunty Virgie received many National and regional awards including the MBE and the St Lucia Medal of Merit.
During the NAF, tribute will be paid to Alexander on May 1 at the National Cultural Centre from 7:30 p.m. The recognition will take the form of a concert which will feature an amazing cast of dancers and choreographers who have been influenced by and stand in gratitude to the vision of “Auntie Virgie” . The star cast includes Carlton Ishmael, Mellisa Reynolds, Tania Isaac, Shakeena President-Beckford and Darcel Frederick. The production is choreographed by Trevor King, Barry George and Shem Heliodore.
Meanwhile, in its efforts to reach out to communities across Saint Lucia and give a voice and platform to artists in every genre of the arts, the Cultural Development Foundation has strategically aligned itself with partner organisations in presenting this year’s NAF.
The Festival will consist of five major activities catering to a diverse audience of creatives across communities, namely a Community Festival, Street Theatre Event, Artist Market, Poetry Live and the Cultural Icon Series.
On Saturday April 23, Vieux Fort will host street drama, fashion shows, dance, masquerade, steel-pan, and poetry as part of its Vieux Fort Street Theatre, Arts and Cultural Exposé. An added feature is that visual artists will be invited to paint street-side, as well as a team of citizens who will create a community collage.
According to Randall James, PRO of the Vieux Fort National Arts Festival Committee, “This event is a very positive first step to advance the Committee’s objectives to enrich the arts and cultural capital of Vieux-Fort, to help strengthen Vieux Fort as a community, to instil confidence in the future of the town, and to enable residents to take pride and ownership of their community.” The event is scheduled to take place from 3:30 p.m. on Clarke Street in Vieux Fort.
A Community Festival will take place at the Soufriere Waterfront on April 30 from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. and will include an artist market, performance concert presenting young and budding artists, community collage and sketch up as well as street theatre.
The Soufriere Community Festival is being billed as part of the Creole Jazz & Arts Festival spearheaded by the Soufriere Development Foundation. Following much deliberation, Micoud community personnel along with a team from the CDF, came to a consensus that postponement of their community festival to 2017 would serve them well. It was agreed that the time extension will allow the community to solidify and subsequently execute plans befitting of a host community.
In a two-hour live special, poetic selections from author John Robert Lee will be expressed through painting, dance and singing. Local poets including Kendel Hippolyte and Robert Lee himself are expected to read from the acclaimed Saint Lucian poet’s extensive repertoire, spanning 40 years of masterful writing. Poetry Live will be aired on the National Television Network (NTN) on April 25 from 7:00 p.m.
The Artist Market slated for May 5 – 7 is being organised in collaboration with the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival and other partners, including the JQ and Baywalk Malls. For three (3) full days from 1:00 a.m. patrons will be awed by an eclectic showcase of arts and crafts indigenous to Saint Lucia in a village atmosphere between the two malls on the Rodney Bay strip. Saint Lucian designers will also be on hand with exquisite and fashionable jewellery.