SHE’S the first to admit that she was never a student of the late Professor Rex Nettleford, but dancer, choreographer and artistic director of L’Acadco, Dr L’Antoinette Stines is unapologetic in her admiration of his work.

“It all started as a child studying dance with Alma Mock Yen in Harbour View. Each year we would be taken to an NDTC performance. Only as an adult did I truly understand the impact he had on my ‘overstanding’ of body consciousness through his use of indigenous music and folk forms to explore themes of voice and identity.”

Those early years of watching those NDTC performances and Nettleford’s work, have also clearly prepared her for the phase of her life, that of scholar. Stines recently completed her PhD in Cultural Studies from the University of the West Indies, with her thesis focussing on what else but what she says is her second love — Dance — second only to her children.

She describes attaining this higher degree as the culmination of years of research into Rastafari and Kumina, at the end of which she says she has grown as a person, scholar, and choreographer.

“My thesis is Daancing in Patois, yes it daancing with two A’s,” she notes, “as Jamaicans don’t dance,” pronouncing “dance” with a British accent, “they daance,” stressing the double-A to give a long characteristically Jamaican sound to the word. “It examines the impact of our history on our movement, Caribbean canon systems, synergies and indigenous and evo/revo (evolutionary and revolutionary) clashes that result in new ‘languages being developed.” She adds that her work also examines the fact that Caribbean dance and techniques are constantly judged against European standards when there are clearly standards of our own.

She has used her research over the years to develop a method of dance and training — L’Antech — which she says has been fine-tuned as is ready to be presented. She is now even offering certification in L’Antech for dancers and dance teachers.

Armed with this body of work, Dr Stines looks forward to taking her work to the people. “God has given me this gift, and it is important that I share the knowledge in order to foster more respect for the Jamaican dancer. I look forward to using my voice as an ambassador for dance touring and speaking on the value and worth of what we have here in Jamaica.”

Never one to drop her choreographer hat, Dr Stines and her company L’Acadco have just returned to the island from Los Angeles, California, having participated in an event organised by the International Association of Blacks in Dance. L’Acadco was the only Caribbean company in the presence of other esteemed groups such as the Harlem Dance Theatre. She recalls that following their presentation of a piece entitled Chat Bout, they received a standing ovation, which caused her dancers to burst into tears at the adoration they received from the audience.

“I was humbled by the experience, but it shows the benefit of travelling and putting yourself up against established companies that you are able to feel this sense of accomplishment.”