KINGSTON, Jamaica - Founding Member and former principal dancer of the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC), Monica McGowan died on Wednesday at her home after a brief illness, the Company announced.

McGowan was one of the 16 founding members of the nation’s premier dance ensemble founded by the late Professor Rex Nettleford and Eddy Thomas, as Jamaica gained its Independence in 1962.

Artistic director of the NDTC, Barry Moncrieffe, said that McGowan served the 50-year-old Company with distinction throughout her life.

He remembers her as a “giving and tender soul who inspired thousands of youngsters through her lifelong work as a dancer and educator and who volunteered her expertise and time to the development of the art locally”.

“She was not only a Company member, but a dear friend. I partnered with her in several dances over the years and she was a joy to work with,” he said.

McGowan’s gift for dance was evident in the more than 52 works performed with the NDTC.