Stella Maris marks 33rd season with new works and Caribbean collaborations

The Stella Maris Dance Ensemble's 33rd Season of Dance, which opened on October 23 and will run until October 25 at The Little Theatre, will feature a programme of premieres and established works exploring Jamaican heritage, black resilience, climate change and Caribbean identity. The 2026 season brings together choreographers and performers from Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands, continuing the ensemble's tradition of combining dance with dramatic storytelling and socially relevant themes. A major premiere will be The Legacy (To Carry the Baton Is to Honour the Fire) by Professor Orville Hall of Dance Xpressionz. Performed by the full company, The Legacy examines black resistance and liberation through the ideas of Marcus Garvey, as well as the musical and cultural influence of Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Damian Junior Gong’ Marley. Beginning with Bingi drums and Garvey's message of black consciousness, the production charts what the company describes as a psychological and physical migration towards liberation and self-determination. The programme also includes the return of Liza, the ensemble's popular Jamaican folk dance drama. Featured performers will include Wendi Hoo Fatt, Dr Monique Spence, Andre Hinds, Duran Hylton, LeslieAnn Grossett, Atira Robinson, Tanya Thompson, Alvan Small and Shelly Callum, with Professor Hall making a guest appearance. Patsy Ricketts, one of Jamaica's premier dancers, ballet mistresses and choreographers, will premiere Kindred, featuring Jaida Oliver and Dainielle Doyley. Another premiere, Moments, choreographed by Dr MoniKa Lawrence, co-founder of the ensemble, will feature Denique Campbell and Jayden Nembhard from the Cayman Islands. The ensemble's youngest member, Na'Ima Williams, will also appear in Odyssey. The season's international component will include Cuban choreographer Abeldo ‘Tokie’ Gonzales' Currente Negra, which examines plantation struggle and redemption. Joshua McLean of the Cayman Islands University Dance Company will present Inertia, featuring dancers from both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The production continues Stella Maris' emphasis on using dance not only as entertainment but as a vehicle for examining history, identity and contemporary social concerns. That philosophy also extends beyond the paying theatre audience. For 16 consecutive years, the ensemble has staged a free performance for homes of safety and inner-city communities, with complimentary refreshments provided. The community performance traditionally opens the company's annual season.