“Rise” is a two-hour gala performance by the internationally renowned National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC). This landmark presentation showcases the company’s world-class artistry and unique fusion of modern dance, classical technique, and traditional Afro-Caribbean folk forms. Rise is a cultural event designed to celebrate identity, resilience, and rhythms that unite us, through exceptional choreography, live music, and vocal ensembles. It promises an unforgettable encounter with Caribbean Heritage, alive, evolving, and deeply rooted.
“Rise” will take place on Friday, April 10, 2026 at the Miramar Cultural Center, and will feature eight (8) major works from the NDTC repertoire, demonstrating artistic excellence, cultural relevance, and diverse choreographic styles:
1. Ritual of the Sunrise (1998) – Dance expression of renewal, awakening, and celebrating cultural identity through movement.
2. Traddin’ (2013) – A vibrant arrangement of traditional folk songs featuring live musicians and vocalists.
3. Home (2025) – Contemporary dance piece exploring belonging, migration, and memory.
4. Drumming Interlude – Live Afro-Caribbean percussion highlighting ancestral rhythms
5. Ascending (2025) – A new work with choreography symbolizing growth, transformation, and collective uplift.
6. Bloom (2025): On Earth as it is in Heaven – A contemporary dance work.
7. Don’t Leave Me (2013) – A deeply emotional contemporary piece blending theater and dance.
8. Kumina (1971) – A cornerstone of NDTC’s repertoire, Dance rooted in Afro-Jamaican rituals for mourning, healing, and thanksgiving, featuring the “Warrick”(stick play).
These works create a dynamic experience that moves from the quiet ritual of dawn to the vibrant energy of cultural celebration blending folk traditions, classical forms, live folklore singing, contemporary dance, and ancestral drumming. The performance concludes with Kumina, a masterwork by NDTC co-founder Prof. The Hon. Rex Nettleford.
