Echoes of a Cultural Form in the Shadows of a Theory
Aug 28, 2019 | Views:209259 |
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Echoes of a Cultural Form in the Shadows of a Theory by Mr. Gregor Breedy
Globally, there are many variations of funeral dance rituals and practices, some of which have become embedded in the culture of Trinidad and Tobago. The Limbodance is one of the most significant of these. It was utilised as a funerary ritualdance by the enslaved Africans in Trinidad and Tobago, during the pre and postEmancipation eras. In the book entitled The Golden Heritage, author Molly Ahye stated that: “The continued attention even in death ensures the protection by the ancestors of the family involved. Because music and dance play an important part in all the rites of passage, it is believed that the deceased must be provided withthe necessary conditions for a happy passage beyond.”
Arnold Van Gennep, the German-born French ethnographer and folklorist, recognised as the founder of the field of folklore in France, is notoriously famous for his study of the rite of passage rituals marking significant transitions in human lives, such as birth, puberty, marriage, and death. He introduced the concept of "liminality", which he described as a three-phase process. In the first phase there isseparation from societal origin, allowing movement into a second phase ofdevelopment and challenges before the third phase which allows for re-absorption into society. Ceremonies marking this transition enable people to experience this liminal phase, losing and then recreating their identity. This project focuses on the Limbo dance and it is put within a framework of this Theory ofLiminality.
Using soft instruments (semi structured interviews, focus groups, surveys) the studywill collect information on the Limbo dance focusing on the relevant liminal and re-absorption phases. In this seminar the discussion centers around drawingparallels between the Limbo dance and Liminality, describing some of the information already collected, and detailing elements of the instruments yet to be used.
Thursday 5th September, 2019at 5:30 p.m.
Room 209 and 210, UTT John S. Donaldson Port-of-Spain Campus
Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain
For more information contact (868) 642-8888 ext. 27108/25173or email theacademy@utt.edu.tt
Mr. GREGOR BREEDY has taught and conducted many master dance classes andworkshops throughout Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and North and South America. He won the prize for the bestchoreographer and also captured the Best Male Dancer at the Prime Minister’s BestVillage Trophy Competition several times. He is a scholarship graduate of The School of the Toronto Dance Theatre in Canada,and was the recipient of the Beryl McBurnie Scholarship bursary, in 1988.
At The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Gregor obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree with honours, his Master of the Arts in Carnival Studies with distinction,and is currently pursuing his PhD. inCultural Studies. Gregor utilises the creativearts as an educative device in order to artistically empower underprivileged and privileged communities both locally and internationally
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