National Dance Festival is on tonight!

The annual National Dance Festival will for the first time be held virtually tonight due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the third virtual programme hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport as a result of the pandemic.

The programme will be streamed live at 19:00h on several local television stations and all social media platforms.

Event Coordinator of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Andrew Tyndall told Village Voice Guyana that the Dance Festival is an annual event which under normal circumstances would see several dance groups from across the country participating in workshops, small shows and a grand finale at the National Cultural Centre.

“You may not be able to come to the Cultural Center for the dance festival, but we are going to bring the dance festival into your homes,” Tyndall said adding “We decided to look at various sectors of our culture and try to engage some groups that will reflect those various aspects of our dance culture.”

He told Village Voice Guyana that dances from the National Dance Company, St. Cuthbert’s Mission Dance Group, X-Factor, and individual dancers will be showcased.

“I had the opportunity to witness the technical rehearsal, and they are high quality choreography, and production too will be of the highest quality. I can guarantee everyone will be entertained. It’s clean family entertainment,” Tyndall said.

Additionally, several local artistes whose music have become popular on social media will be on display. Those include: Drew Thoven, cKush, Gully Ras, and Esan Benzy.

The Festival can be viewed on the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s Facebook and Instagram pages, HJTV, NTN, TVG and NCN. The television stations in Berbice and Essequibo will also be airing the show.

With the entertainment sector being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tyndall said virtual shows are a sure way for them to continue showcasing their creativity.

“They have not been having opportunities to perform, so the ministry implementing these virtual programmes provide the opportunity for them to not only perform, but to earn,” he posited.

Tyndall noted too that this is all part of a bigger vision for their ministry.

“We have a new minister, the Honourable Charles Ramson Jr. who has a really big vision for culture. The mission is to develop and showcase Guyanese talent especially among the youths.

While we’re restricted from having these physical events, going out into the regions and seeking out these talents, we have been able to conquer the programme of virtual events that still helps us to meet our objective. As a ministry, we are providing entertainment for you at home and we are encouraging you to stay home and stay safe. So the entire virtual series is called ‘Stay home, stay safe and be entertained,” Tyndall told Village Voice Guyana.

The Event Coordinator disclosed that virtual events will also be held for Diwali and the National Drama Festival, which is themed ‘Dramatic Distancing – Theatres without walls.’