By
Brian Steven-* Haitian Time* Staff
BROOKLYN - Bawon Samdi. Cede Zareyen and Grann Brigit danced
to the beat of Haitian rhythms Saturday to the delight of
thousands as they made their first West Indian Day
Children's Carnival appearance.
The Haitian deities,- known as great protectors of
children,- made their dance debut through the stylized
choreography of 30 Haitian-American kids, ages 2 to 17,
under the direction of dance instructor Nadia Dieudonne'.
First and foremost on a mission to have fun, Djeudonne'
confessed to two other motivating factors behind the
kids'months-long preparation: sharing a piece of Haitian
heritage with the youngsters and adding a distinctly Haitian
charisma to the children's carnival.
"We wanted to add a little dash of Haitian flavor,"
Dieudonne said of the children's carnival,- one of many
precursors to the main Monday carnival, a Labor Day
spectacular on Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway.
Dressed in shimmering purple and black costumes, the
children danced to the theme |
of
"New Life Arises" before thousands of families who turned
out for the Saturday afternoon mini-parade behind the Brook-lyn
Museum of Art. And with the beat of the drum and a
pulsating rhythm, Dieudonne and her students made quite an
impression. Proud smiles and words of encouragement came
from adults and children who warmed to the troupe of tikes
sporting Haitian costumes and dancing to Haitian music. "I
love it, this is wonderful," said a Haitian American woman,
her 6-year-old daughter holding to her hand. "I'm so happy
my own kids can see this." The child dancers themselves
appeared equally excited, marked by giddy giggles mixed with
nervous anticipation as they approached the stage and
prepared to per-form before thousands. Haitian
participa-tion in festivities leading up to and including
the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade has increased
in the past five years. "I thought there was a need for a
Haitian presence," said Dieudonne', cultural director at
the Flatbush YMCA in Brooklyn, in explaining why she took up
the task of organizing a Haitian dance troupe for the |
children's carnival. In the past, the children's carnival
has seen Haitian culture on parade with drumming and
musical performances on the part of adults - but no
stand-alone Haitian acts including kids. Last year,
Dieudonne. who also teaches at the downtown Brooklyn Charles
Moore Dance Theatre, led a smaller group of Haitian children
who danced as part of a winning Trinidadian troupe. This
year, Dieudonne said she was determined to dance with the
children as an independent, Haitian act, despite being beset
by a lack of sponsorship that meant the children would have
to dance to recorded music instead of live accompaniment.
'This is a fun way to connect kids with their culture
The children's carnival provides the same such venue -but on
a smaller, more kid-friendly scale. Many Caribbean
-countries, and some from Africa, were represented at the
Saturday kids carnival that saw hundreds of children dance
and parade in traditional costumes. "We're not in this to
try to win anything." Dieudonne said of the children's
carnival, in which each act had two minutes to perform.
|
.Those acts that included a king and queen were eligible to
enter a contest in which judges would determine the best
act. Dieudonne's lack of resources meant she and the Haitian
children performed sans king and queen. Judging by the crowd
though, Dieudonne's determination to dance rep-resenting
Haiti was right on the money, winning rave reviews from the
many Haitian spectators and their children. "People were
proud to see us out there. A cou ple of elders joined in
with us after we left the stage. We're showing our pride and
our colors and people respond to that," Dieudonne said.
Asked how long she intends to keep this new tradition of
Haitian participation at the kids' carnival, Dieudonne'
replied with enthusiasm and determination
"As long as I'm alive and breathing, I'll be there," she
said. |
