Voice of Guyana International

Dear Colleagues:
This note is to provide you with an update on plans for the Guyana Folk Festival 2005 Symposium.

The Theme
The theme for the symposium is “Celebrating Guyanese Dance.”

Date, Time, & Venue
The organizing team, led by Dr. Juliet Emanuel, is putting the final touches to an exciting event scheduled for Saturday, September 3, 2005 from 9 am – 5 p.m. at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, New York NY 10007.

The Program
The day-long symposium will allow for in-depth examination of several themes and topics in Guyanese dance through invited papers, demonstrations, performances, workshops, panel discussions, audience participation, and videos. What follows are some of the themes and topics to be explored:

* “The Significance of Dance in Guyana’s Indigenous Cultures” (Dr. Desry Fox, Coordinator, Amerindian Research Unit, University of Guyana and Curator, Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, Guyana)
* Social Dance in Post-World War II Guyana (Godfrey Chin)
* Guyanese music and Social Dance in the Post-Independence era
* Dance in Guyanese Literature (Dr. Juliet Emanuel)
* Dance Halls and Other Venues (Dr. Bernard Heydorn)
* Reflections on Modern Dance in Guyana (Malcolm Hall)
* Exploring Africa in Guyanese Dance.
* Exploring Asia in Guyanese Dance
* Biographies of Guyanese dance innovators
* Dance and the Schoolchild (Doris Harper-Wills)

Performances
Several performances will be presented during the symposium

Master Classes/Workshops
Verna Walcott-White and Rose October-Edun will conduct two Master
Classes on Guyanese dance. Participants in these sessions are encouraged to wear clothing suitable for the movement required. All participants must register at beginning of conference.

Videos on Dance in Guyana:
Documentaries and video footage on the following aspects of dance in Guyana
will be presented throughout the symposium. Among the materials to be
presented are:

Erroll Brewster in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports (2003). Guyana at Carifesta VIII. This video contains examples of Mari Mari dance, Indian dance, Masquerade, and modern dance.

Vibert Cambridge (2004). Roti Choreography. Unedited video of the elegance associated with the preparation of roti.

Kean Gibson (1993). African Guyanese Spiritualist Ceremonies. This video
examines Cumfa.

Kean Gibson (1993). African Guyanese DanceTraditions. This video contains a survey of African Guyanese dances associated with marriage (Kwe Kwe), religion (Cumfa), and death (Upstairs and Downstairs wakes).

Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports (2005). Masquerade Finals at Leguan 2005. This video is a record of the 2005 Masquerade Finals and provides examples of the music­including the use of the harmonica; the dancers­flouncers, Mother Sally, Tall Lady, Stilt man, Mad Bull, and Peacock.

National Communication Network (2005). Emancipation Day 2005. This video
contains several examples of African Guyanese dance along with example of
Capoeria and Samba from Brazil and folk dance from Columbia.

Toucan Communications Inc. (1987). A Taste of Mash 1987. This video contains sequences of masquerade flouncing and street tramping.

Toucan Communications Inc. (1988). A Taste of Mash 1988. This video contains good masquerade sequences, East Indian dance sequences, and costumed bands tramping.

Toucan Communications Inc. (1989). Rivers to Mashramani 1989. This video
contains an extended sequence of the 1989 Mass Games with associated dances.

Toucan Communications Inc. (1992). Mashramani ’92. This video contains an
excellent sequence of masquerade flouncing by the Kabaka Masquerade Band and a brief sequence of Chinese Dragon Dancers.

Toucan Communications Inc. (1993). Mashramani ’93: The Spirit Lives. Contains examples of costumed bands tramping.

Sale of Books, DVDs, and CDs
Books, DVDs, and CDs by Guyanese artists will be on sale
throughout the symposium. Persons interested in having their books, DVDs,
and CDs sold are asked to make contact with Muriel Glasgow at muriella@att.net

The Cost
The Registration Fee for the symposium is $25 and that covers breakfast and
lunch.

Please circulate this e-mail and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday,
September 3, 2005 from 9 am – 5 pm at the Borough of Manhattan Community
College, 199 Chambers Street, New York NY 10007.

For further details on Guyana Folk Festival 2005, please visit

http://www.guyfolkfest.org/

Peace

Vibert Cambridge
for the Symposium Team

Vibert C. Cambridge, Ph.D., Chair
Department of African American Studies
Ohio University
Telephone: 740-593-9178
Fax: 740-593-0671
web: http://www.ohiou.edu/aas/

Tagged: CARIFESTA, Guyana, mashramani

§ One Response to “Guyana Folk Festival Symposium 2006”

• Everest Nepal Cultural Group says:

  November 25, 2005 at 10:29 am

  Dear Sir,

  Please send us your festival condition.

  Regards,

  Koirala
  http://www.encg.folkfestivals.org
  http://www.folkfestivals.org

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