Colour, culture and cha cha take to floor

Ellerslie Secondary was unrecognisable recently as the Rhythmic Ballroom Dance Club splashed the campus in a dazzling tide of blue, yellow and black for their annual Independence Variety Show and Dance.

The auditorium pulsed with national pride and glittering costumes as beginners, intermediate and advanced members – joined by their instructors and guest performers from Modern Ballroom, Mark Burgess Academy and Starlite Dance Club – hit the floor in full celebratory flair.

Setting the tone for the night, vocalists Kathy Ann Ash Diva Jones and Olivia Yearwood brought sweet nostalgia with their renditions of beloved classics, I Hear A Love Song and Love Is the Key, pulling the audience straight into a Bajan memory lane singalong.

From there, the pace never dipped. A spirited line dance medley cracked open the programme before a carousel of ballroom favourites took over. Malcolm Graham and Linda Williams delivered a crisp Quickstep; beginners glided through social rhythm; and Graham returned with Vivian Kellman for an effortless foxtrot – social rhythm fusion. Andre Miller and Beverley Andrews offered tango intensity, while David Adams and Deanna floated through a dreamy waltz in sweeping, elegant gowns.

Then the night shifted gears – into pure Latin heat. Arlington Hunte and Caslene Hewitt flirted their way through a cheeky cha cha, followed by a sultry Cuban-style salsa with Patricia Worrell Alleyne. The beginners’ merengue kept the hips rolling, but it was Kelly Henry, Thracia Forde and Steve Myles’ high-voltage paso doble-cha cha mashup that had jaws dropping and fans fanning themselves. Even celebrity guest dj don ditched his mixing board to take a spin with Jeanne Alleyne to a beloved “oldie goldie,” earning loud cheers.

Group routines kept the energy high, including a lively Bachata set featuring couples Monica Jackman and Trevor Burrowes, Olivia Yearwood and Andre Miller, Cedric and Shamika Best and others. In one of the evening’s most striking moments, the all-ladies ensemble – Kelly Henry, Patricia Worrell Alleyne, Vivian Kellman, Monica Jackman, Maxine Harris and Thracia Forde – took the stage in sleek black for a powerful Viennese waltz line dance that combined grace with quiet strength.

But the night’s showstopper? The fashion segment. Models strutted the runway in bold casual pieces – halter tops, lace, bright denim, and colourful pants – before elevating the room with formal couture complete with top hats, swizzle tails and a dramatic director’s cane. Each look drew bigger screams than the last.

A packed house of ballroom lovers from clubs across the island – Modern Ballroom, Jahbulani, Concordia, Wagon Wheel, Timeless, Mac3, Progressive, Black Diamond, Christ Church Parish Dancers, Livy & Betty Alleyne Dance Club, Starlite and more – cheered on every act. Audience members snagged prizes for their knowledge of Bajan sayings and for rocking the best Independence outfits and later indulged in a spread of local delicacies.

By the end of the evening, president of Rhythmic Ballroom Dance Club, Myles, was beaming. “Everything was fantastic,” he said. “It was truly an entertaining event.”

And with the energy still buzzing long after the final bow, few would disagree. (KH)

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