Local News

The Belize National Dance Company left for Barcelona Spain today where they will participate in the Festival Du Sud which has the participations of about forty five dance companies worldwide.  This morning Love News caught up with the group at the Phillip Goldson International Airport as they made their final arrangements to embark on the trip.  Althea Sealey is the Assistant Director of the Belize Dance Company

ALTHEA SEALEY, Assistant Director

“We were invited to come on this tour by the organization there of the Festival Du Sud and it’s like our third invitation.  We have a list contingent that is leaving today, the 4^th July, we have twenty eight people leaving and on the 31^st myself and one of the musician.” 

NATALIE NOVELO, Reporter

“What are some of the things you have scheduled for your tour?”

ALTHEA SEALEY, Assistant Director

 “Well we know when they get there, in Spain they will have a 90 minutes performance the day after they reach in so we know that they will be on the go from the beginning.  We’re going to literally show them Belize.  We are taking our three cultures: The Mayan, the Garifuna and the Creole culture, so they will see Belize through the dances.

NATALIE NOVELO, Reporter

“Can you tell me a little bit about the preparation for this tour?

ALTHEA SEALEY, Assistant Director

 “Ok it has been like, I would say, six months preparation in selecting the persons that we’re going to take carefully, we did that.  We did an audition and we’re taking people from different districts, from different dance companies with us.  For us to have a diverse, for us to have a flavor, we share choreographies, myself, Rosita Baldazar and Denis Enriquez and other choreographers like Greg Vernon we’re taking some of his pieces and we’re using local musicians.”

Head of contingent for the Belize Dance Company Karen Vernon says the Festival Du Sud does most of the funding to cover travel expenses, however she outlined other sponsors that are making the trip a reality and what are the next steps the group plans to undertake in their return

KAREN VERNON, Head of Contingent

“We got great assistants through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, NICH and other smaller donors as well.  This is the third time for this festival.   I think this festival happens every four years.  So eight years ago four years ago the group went, this is my first time going but the dance company is always on tour.  They always invite the company to Mexico, different parts of Mexico, Guatemala and the U.S.A. so the company is well travelled and represents Belize very well. In the company they are always working on new choreographies, training, getting ready for – because we do a lot of show.  So you know when we get back we’ll do a show in September.  We did a show just before we left so people can see exactly what we are taking to Europe and when we get back in September we’ll do another show and you know we start the year again.”

Vernon says that many members of the group have never been to Europe and it’s an exciting moment for them.  Dancers travelling had to be over the age of eighteen.  The group will arrive in Barcelona tomorrow and is scheduled to return to Belize on the twelfth of September.