Dr L’Antoinette Stines is known for her ‘road less travelled’ approach. And, her company L’Acadco performance seasons are always eagerly anticipated.

This year, true to form, Stines presents a production entitled ‘L’Antoinette’s Dream’.

“Having choreographed Cricket World Cup’s opening ceremony and Grand Gala in the past, and I am a regular on the shows — so over the years there are dancers that I just love to watch and have always wanted to work with. The dancers I chose must have demonstrated so much passion for the art form, plus I look for dancer with soul to support their technical training. So I wrote to the artistic directors of all the dance companies in Jamaica and requested specific dancers to performance with my company this year. They will not be dancing as members of their company, but instead incorporated in specially choreographed works.”

As for the works to be performed, Stines has brought in an all-star set of choreographers to pull together the dancers from Dance Theatre Xaymaca, The National Dance Theatre Company, One Body One God, Ashe, The Company Dance Theatre, Ardenne High, Mount Alvernia High and Campion College dance troupes, as well as the Vickers Dance Studio and Future Point out of New York. The Choreographers include Stines herself, Michael Holgate, Rennee McDonald, Amanyea Stine, Tony Wilson, Marlon Simms, Dwight Wright, Orville McFarlane, Clara Reyes, and Elizabeth Vickers Samuda.

“I am doing this show to highlight that as dancers in Jamaica, we can unite and live together. Everything is not a competition and we are living up to one of the L’Acadco mottos, which is ‘building bridges through the arts’. In the past there was a division among the dance companies, but these young people who are dancing these days know each other and I just want to support that as an elder in the dance community. So I am happy that the dance companies are assisting me to make my dream a reality.”

The Jamaica Observer popped into a rehearsal on Wednesday where Amanyea Stines was taking five dancers from five companies — NDTC, L’Acadco, The Company, The Vickers Studio and Campion College — through their paces with the work The Zong.

“It is so interesting working with these dancers from different backgrounds and training styles. When I ask something of them and see how each interprets the work, it is so eye-opening,” the younger Stines said.

L’Antoinette’s Dream plays for two weekends, July 1-3 and 8-10 at the Little Theatre in St Andrew. The dance presentations will be accompanied by performance poets and other forms of entertainment.

— Richard Johnson