Jamaica’s National Dance Theatre Company to perform in Miramar
Key Points(5)
- The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica will bring its blend of contemporary dance, classical technique and Afro-Caribbean folk traditions to South Florida on Oct.
- 30 with a performance at the Miramar Cultural Center.
- Titled “Rise: Rituals of Home, Heritage and Thanksgiving,” the two-hour gala performance will begin at 8 p.m.
- and feature eight works from the company’s repertoire, celebrating Jamaican heritage, identity and resilience through dance, live music and vocal performances.
- The programme will include works spanning more than five decades of the company’s history, from “Kumina” (1971), a signature piece rooted in Afro-Jamaican ritual traditions, to contemporary productions exploring belonging, migration and personal transformation.
The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica will bring its blend of contemporary dance, classical technique and Afro-Caribbean folk traditions to South Florida on Oct. 30 with a performance at the Miramar Cultural Center.
Titled “Rise: Rituals of Home, Heritage and Thanksgiving,” the two-hour gala performance will begin at 8 p.m. and feature works from the company’s repertoire, celebrating Jamaican heritage, identity and resilience through dance, live music and vocal performances.
The program will include works spanning more than five decades of the company’s history, from “Kumina” (1971), a signature piece rooted in Afro-Jamaican ritual traditions, to contemporary productions exploring belonging, migration and personal transformation.
Among the featured works are “Ritual of the Sunrise” (1998), which explores renewal and cultural identity; “Traddin’” (2013), an arrangement of traditional folk songs featuring live musicians and vocalists; and “Don’t Leave Me” (2013), a contemporary piece combining theater and dance.
The program also includes three works from 2025: “Home,” which explores belonging, migration and memory; “Ascending,” which uses movement to symbolize growth and collective uplift; and “Bloom (On Earth as it is in Heaven),” a contemporary dance work. A live drumming interlude will highlight Afro-Caribbean percussion and ancestral rhythms.
The performance will conclude with “Kumina,” a work by the company’s co-founder, the late Professor the Hon. Rex Nettleford. Drawing on Afro-Jamaican traditions associated with mourning, healing and thanksgiving, the piece features the “Warrick,” a form of stick play.
Founded in Jamaica, the internationally recognized National Dance Theatre Company is known for incorporating the island’s folk traditions into a distinctive dance repertoire that spans classical and contemporary forms.
The Miramar Cultural Center presentation will be hosted by Vice Mayor Carson “Eddy” Edwards.
The venue is located at 2400 Civic Center Place in Miramar, Florida. Tickets for the Oct. 30 performance start at $56 and are available through MiramarCulturalCenter.org.
