It was an August Bank Holiday Sunday, the year 2014. My household and I were celebrating the birth of a girl child into our family, at a huge function hall in South East London.The reggae music was flowing sweetly, the guests singing out loud and dancing with much energy. Abruptly, the music ceased. We heard […]
Tribute to JANUKA by Mr. Desmond Clarke (Quadrille Instructor)
Tribute to JANUKA: From Mr. Desmond Clarke (Quadrille Instructor) on the occasion of our 10th Anniversary celebration. THE REAL PERSON WITHIN THE SLAVE Congratulations JANUKA on your tenth anniversary. May you continue to serve your purpose and achieve your goals indefinitely. What you are experiencing here this evening, ladies and gentlemen, entertaining though it may […]
An evening with Januka – The Will to Survive Part 2
The Will To Survive – Part 2 Saturday, 10th September, 18:30 – 23:00 We tell an incredible story of our ancestors’ efforts to redeem their humanity, reconstruct their family structures and cohesive communities, post-emancipation. Entertainment include: Reflections on lived experiences of the freed slaves Quadrille and other cultural dances Audience participation in folk songs Celebration dancing […]
JANUKA Summer events 2015
JANUKA QUADRILLE DANCE GROUP Invites you to our summer fund raising event at Trinity United Reformed Church Hall: Januka summer fund raising event 27th June 2015: 10am – 4pm Trinity United Reformed Church Hall Faversham Road (off Stanstead Road) Catford London SE6 4XE Table Top Sale, Jerk BBQ & other Caribbean delights as well as […]
Our ancestors lived experiences through the quadrille dance: Pt 4/4
This is Part 4 of a list of 15 dance figures/sets. You can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 for the full list. Part C continued. 14. Free Spirited Dances Free spirited dances are symbolic of our ancestors’ free spiritedness, inherent love of music and dance and freedom of expression. Dancing is choreographed to a selection of reconfigured quadrille […]
Our ancestors lived experiences through the quadrille dance: Pt 3/4
This is Part 3 of a list of 15 dance figures/sets. You can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 4 for the full list. Part C 10. Vertical Maypole Couples join arms and hands to form the shaft of the Maypole, and dance in close proximity in ‘turnstile’ movements at centre stage, before returning to their base. Historical relevance The […]
Our ancestors lived experiences through the quadrille dance: Pt 2/4
This is Part 2 of a list of 15 dance figures/sets. You can read Part 1, Post 3 and Post 4 for the full list. Part 2 6. Figure of 8 with a diamond in the centre Women move their bodies and feet to create a numerical ‘8’ pattern with a diamond at the centre. They pass each other courteously but do […]
Our ancestors lived experiences through the quadrille dance: Pt 1/4
In Blog Post 2, Post 3 and Post 4 of this series I described my search for more significant, sinister and justifiable reasons for my ancestors’ transformation and transfiguration of the European quadrille dance. This process uncovered sixteen coded messages summarised below: Music, singing and dancing can liberate your mind, body and soul. Develop a strong sense […]
Transformation and Transfiguration of the European Ballroom Quadrille dance
Although the enslaved Africans mastered the European ballroom quadrille dance and danced it exquisitely, they soon realised it was too formal and expressionless to fully achieve their goals. I surmise that their inborn spiritedness of freedom and defiance would have enabled them to cunningly transform and transfigure the European dance into a livelier, more relaxing, interactive and […]
Jamaican Slave Exposure to the European Quadrille dance
When the enslaved African were forbidden to engage in their cultural expressions in music, singing and dancing, I surmise they were initially forlorn. The colonialists had publicly declared their African dances inferior, uncivilised and abhorrent. The only dancing genre exposed to them at the time was the European ballroom quadrille. The colonialists and their guests […]