Campion College Dance Society scores high marks with Nexxus

“Oh, no! What’s going on?” the nine-year-old boy screamed, horrified at the events depicted in the dance on the stage of The Little Theatre.

His mother clapped a hand over his eyes, and the older boy beside him tried to comfort him, explaining, “She not really dead, yu know.” But it was too late. He started to cry.

This unfolded just in front of me in the theatre, last Sunday evening. It temporarily pulled my attention away from the dance, ‘Misogyny’, and though I was not as distressed as the crying boy, I was probably just as shocked. Until male dancers portraying thugs suddenly entered the dancehall venue and started attacking several dancing girls, the work had been joyous.

It was one of several works by Dwright Wright, the artistic director of the Campion College Dance Society, which celebrated its 15th annual season of dance last weekend with a production called Nexxus. The dance starts positively, with Jahmelia Daley dancing solo to a musical version of Maya Angelou’s popular poem Phenomenal Woman, and later, other dancers in the society dancing to the song Strength of a Woman.

The turn that the complex dance takes is somewhat righted when the audience is taken beyond the grave, presumably to Heaven, as dancers in flowing white robes appear. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the murdered woman is given a well-attended funeral. Her community mourns her, but we don’t see the murderers punished.

The two-hour-long production — excluding an extended intermission, during which five long-serving stalwarts of the company were inducted into the Society’s Hall of Fame — was jam-packed with 19 energetic, colourful works. Performances came from various groups, sometimes the society as a whole, and at other times, segments of it — the Academy, The Advanced Ensemble and/or the Intermediate Ensemble.

As those names suggest, the levels of the dancing differed, but every dance had some admirable aspect. Thanks to the careful selection of the music and the skill of the choreographers, the costume designers, and lighting designer Robin Baston, the strengths of the performers were highlighted and their weaknesses minimised. The achievements of the society are succinctly summarised by Campion Principal Dr Lavare Henry in his message in the printed programme:

“From its humble beginnings as a co-curricular group, the Dance Society has blossomed into one of Campion’s most dynamic and inspiring artistic collectives. Under the leadership and artistic direction of Mr Dwright Wright, this group has not only won numerous accolades but has proudly carried the Campion name to stages both locally and internationally, including performances in the United States and Europe.”

He specifically addresses the perception of the school as an institution of only academically brilliant students, stating, “Their journey is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through talent, dedication, and purpose-driven mentorship ... . The dancers remind us that excellence is not confined to academics but is also realised in the rhythm, grace, and discipline of the performing arts.” The best of the dancers were indeed excellent, and because universities want multitalented students, the dancers who seek to further their education after high school will surely find that their eligibility is enhanced by their dance experience.

Faced by both the abundance of riches that Nexxus provided and by space constraints, this reviewer is forced to only mention some of the dances. They must include the seven brand-new (2025) works. World premieres are important.

In order of presentation, they were: ‘Elipsse’, choreographed by Marlon Simms and danced by Kenyah Mallet, Sienna Weng, Jahmelia Daley, Amaris White, and Kayla Wright; ‘Syndicate’, choreographed by Andrew Bailey and featuring The Advanced Ensemble; ‘Indawo Yokumemela’ by Paul Newman and featuring The Academy; ‘Sacred Order’, choreographed by Bailey, danced by The Advanced Ensemble; ‘Turbulent Soul’, by Shavaughn Byndloss and featuring The Advanced Ensemble; ‘Upful Rise’, by Kareen McLean and danced by Lauren Delisser, Suri Neil, and Asha-Dae Daley; and the exhilarating climactic work, ‘Bashment’, by Byndloss, McLean, and Okera Hastings, which was executed by The Society.

The following dances were particularly meaningful to me and, judging by the cheers and applause, the audience as well:

- ‘Creation (2013)’, the opening number, by Wright (1st Movement) and Renee I. McDonald (2nd movement), an atmospheric, smoke-filled piece danced to the magnificent anthem of the same name by Peter Tosh and music from The Lion King. It was executed by The Society.

- Wright’s 2014 work ‘We Are Men’, danced with the desired display of macho feeling by the muscular trio of Joel Brown, Joshua Craigy and Joshua-Michael Graham. They were accompanied, not by music, but by a poem about paradoxes of masculinity — being both strong and defenceless, for example. The costume designer, Judith Malcolm, didn’t have much to do; she dressed the dancers in black shorts.

- ‘Coronation Market Jamboree (2012)’ by Wright, a cheerful, colourful item featuring straw hats, miniature market baskets, long skirts, and laughing interactions between couples, set to lively soca music, is a real feel-good piece.

- Wright’s earlier-mentioned, thought-provoking ‘Misogyny’.

- ‘Skin-Deep (2017)’ by Orville McFarlane, a poignant dance about a woman fearing that she may become less desirable as she grows older. Soloists were Weng and Mallet, with The Advanced Ensemble.

- ‘Bashment’, a dancehall celebration of the body and movement. It ended the evening on a perfect note, a crescendo.

Those who want to have some summer fun with the dance society can register for its summer intensive and take classes in several styles of dance as well as stage make-up, lighting design, and costume design.

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