A Survey of the Arts || The Little Carib and West Indian Dance

The Little Carib and West Indian DanceAuthor(s): BERYL McBURNIESource: Caribbean Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 1/2, A Survey of the Arts (March - June 1968), pp.136-139Published by: University of the West Indies and Caribbean QuarterlyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40653065 .

Accessed: 16/06/2014 04:11

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

University of the West Indies and Caribbean Quarterly are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve andextend access to Caribbean Quarterly.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 185.44.79.40 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 04:11:07 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=uwi

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=cariquar

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40653065?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


The Little Caríb and West Indian Dance

EVERY dancer in Trinidad and Tobago, nay, the West Indies, should be happy with a feeling of fulfilment and exaltation at this time of "foundation stone".

Dear reader, you will admit that I, as founder and choreographer must feel happier than most people connected with the Little Carib theatre. So do permit me to express my emotions a bit, and spread my wings.

The story of the Little Carib really began one day when I was just eight years old and a member of the "Coralità Club". It was an important day. We were giving our first concert. With benches borrowed from the Woodbrook CM. School we set up a stage in the drawing room of 69 Roberts Street. We had invited all our friends and had even prepared refreshments.

But it rained that day. And nobody came to the concert. Tearful, but undaunted, I went out to sell the ice cream.

"Chile", the neighbours called out, "what you doin' out in the rain." However they bought the ice cream all the same. Miss Pollard took twelve cents worth, Mrs. Clark, thirty-six cents worth, and from the other neighbours I made a shilling.

With the seventy-two cents we bought threads to knit "pink and green" rosettes; the emblem of the "Coralità Club" and we set about planning the "next" concert.

By this time my family would have none of "the upset" in the house. All right. 'Tioinkling Lights", (as I had decided to name the concert), would be held in the kitchen garden.

The day of the concert came. So did the rain, much heavier than before. Who, I thought dejectedly, would turn out in this weather to attend an open air concert.

But, by some miracle, people came. They came late, but they came all the same. We sprinkled sawdust to absorb the damp on the floor and happily we danced to the strains of "The Beautiful Lady in Blue", (in a gown I had borrowed) and the "Argentine Tango".

That kitchen garden became the stage of the Coralità Club and years later, of the "Little Carib".

This is the history of "the kitchen garden" and "the house next door".

136



This is the story of the beginning of West Indian dance and the Little Carib Theatre.

We tried everything, all of the dancers drawn from our historical background- Carib, Spanish, French, African, American, East Indian, English, making many mistakes as we went along.

We learned bitterly from our mistakes. Not only from the errors in the theatre, but from the errors in our attitudes to our audiences. We learned that the audience has a right to be satisfied. That when people are gracious enough to patronise a show, it is our duty to give a performance of such a standard that is worthy of their effort to be there. The audience must be comfortable, too.

And by being pushed about from borrowed drawing rooms, open- air stages, to rickety school buildings we decided to build a theatre of our own.

The first brick was put down in November 1947. You know full well the story, and the trouble with the City Council. But since then they have become sympathetic to the cause.

We opened in February of the following year with Bele. Govern- ment officials, tourists, store clerks, dancers, singers, musicians, every- body rubbed shoulder to shoulder in a seething mass, dancing under a thatched roof with open sides. The fence bulged from pressure, both from the outside and inside. It was a memorable night. The "Little Carib" was born, and came to stay- at last we hoped.

Since Bele, Tropicana, Talking Drums, Caribbean Cruise, 1ère Dancers, Ajoupa, Fandang, Cannes Brullees, Binaka, Nauska Allées, Serenai, Bal Madras, Dingolay, Quimbamba, were among the shows that ran for seasons, while gems of the "Little Carib", Eureka, Cocette, Ting Tang and Ole were two or three night stands.

Woking with the company throughout the years, gave me great joy. Perhaps it is because dancing is one of the oldest of man's forms of expression, and for that reason one of the most direcct and quick means of knowing him.

Speaking from experience, you become more sensitive to man's hopes and aspirations, more sympathetic to his needs when you understand the reasons why he dances.

In dance, the individual experiences two kinds of pleasure - joy in his own physical movements, and the gregarious pleasure of move- ment in company with other dancers.

If this is true of sport it is far more powerfully true of dance, because in dance these pleasures are integrated and reinforced, given a new dimension, by the elements of rhythm. Dance is the physical expression of music, so that in dance we have a merging of the physical and aesthetic functions of man's nature.

We at the Little Carib have been constantly reaching out - to fields unknown, new worlds- hoping to find joy. We have been proud to

137



present the gamut of Caribbean dance: Whether it tells of the haunt- ing dirge of Carriacou, tambourine or quadrille, the naningo of Cuba, pocomania of Jamaica, beguine of Martinique or Trinidad's limbo, we try to touch them all and tell their story.

And so the story of the Little Carib continues with the Arawaks, and takes a new turn.

It was in 1955 that Canon Farquhar, inspired me with the idea of opening a branch of the "Little Carib Theatre" in San Fernando.

I thought the idea a wonderful one and so very soon afterwards we both travelled down to the Church House at St. Paul's for the inaugural ceremony.

Bright and eager were the faces before us, all interested in "dance". Canon Farquhar's opening was short and pointed . . ."HARD WORK" was his theme.

I followed him with a brisk talk outlining the dance .... our dance of Trinidad and Tobago- the dance which speaks of the history of the territory.

The name "Arawaks" was suggested and accepted. A company was launched.

And from that day in 1955, to this .... 13 years afterwards, the name "ARAWAKS" became a household word, when speaking of local dance in San Fernando.

I travelled twice weekly in the beginning then once. After two years Kelvin Rotardier relieved me as he lived in San Fernando.

But Kelvin soon left to reside in Port-of -Spain. Although he would travel south on occasions, he too, had to give up the journey.

The Arawaks, stranded, without teacher and guardian, were now left to their own resources.

Fate can be kind in many strange ways, because out of this plight emerged Torrance Mohammed. Under his leadership the Arawaks dance company has enriched the lives of all San Fernandians.

What is our position today? We have crossed the difficulties of the first stage, and now look out towards the future with hope. I can see only success if we work hard enough. Early beginnings of all art forms, take everything out of you, and if the spirit isn't bolstered and propped, there is a tendency to get lost in bewilderment and fright, the spirit dies. Too few people understand. Now with the physical building, friends and patrons are assured of is permanence and its name. We cannot succeed without you. You public, you merchants, you moneyed friends, you audiences, and the rest.

Do let us dance a GAYAP. A GAYAP is a communal work project where everyone does his job in harmony with others. Could we dance all together in GAYAP to the rhythm of the nation dance? Surely,

138



this is what we want, not only at the Little Carib but working together in harmony throughout the entire nation. Let us dance a OAYAP for a library and a green room, chairs, books, costume plates, lights, ticket boxes and money.

1. Lift your right leg sharply from front to back with knee bent at right angles to body, toe pointed downwards; progress back- wards using alternate feet.

2. Arms held in parallel sideways, to left, using right leg, lift sharply up, place behind, "chassé" forward left (slide with bent knee) with left hip lifted and leading, close right foot behind. Change arms over to the other side when beginning with the left.

3. Stand on ball of feet, knees straight, body bent slightly forward, hands holding up skirt at sides. Count one two three and four. With feet together shuffle right foot forward, left foot backward, change left foot forward, right foot forward, then close feet together swiftly on counts one and two, head tossed back coquettishly. Wait in this position for count "and three". Open feet sideways, bending knees and putting whole foot on floor, straighten knees. Body straight. Use skirt flicking forward opening sideways in time with feet. Look at yourself in the mirror and see how well you dance, you beautiful creature.

Music: Cook Recording - Drums of Trinidad.

AND THAT IS ALL

BERYL McBURNIE

139



Documents

A Survey of the Arts || The Little Carib and West Indian Dance