SOME of the top dance company’s from Jamaica and the Caribbean will showcase their talents on one stage over the next three days.

Jamaica Dance Umbrella, a five-year-old exposé to create opportunities for new dance practitioners and companies to share stage with and learn from the more established dance companies, kicks off at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts tonight and continues through to Sunday.

Festival director Michael Holgate notes that the event is geared towards celebrating cultural diversity in the Caribbean.

This year, the Jamaica Dance Umbrella is under the patronage of the French Ambassador to Jamaica Ginette de Matha who has brought in renowned dance practitioner Catherine Denecy from Guadaloupe to participate.

Denecy, who also performs with the internationally famous Urban Bush women dance company (New York), will be doing a solo performance devised with

a scenographer.

The festival will honour National Dance Theatre Company founding member Barbara Requa for her contribution to dance education in Jamaica and

the Caribbean.

Tonight’s performers include: Stella Maris Dance Ensemble,ProMoves Dance Company, Vickers Ballet Academy, Renee McDonald, Khama Phillips from Barbados and KRI Performing Arts out of the Cayman Islands.

Tomorrow will see the performances of such troupes as L’Acadco, National Dance Theatre Company, Shady Squad and Catherine Denecy.

The event wraps on Sunday with The Company Dance Theatre, Ashe Company and Dance Theatre Xaymaca, University Dance Society, Kim-Lee Campbell, Jessica Shaw, TeamDanceJA among others.

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