Renee McDonald is fast becoming one of Jamaica’s most in-demand choreographers. The young dancer-turned-choreographer is on the list of every major company in Jamaica, having created works for her home troupe — The Company, as well as the National Dance Theatre Company, among others.

McDonald can now add Dance Theatre Xaymaca (DTX) to her list as recently her work Requiem premièred at that troupe’s 2016 season of dance at the Little Theatre in St Andrew.

A haunting story and ode to those gone before us, McDonald was able to challenge the dancers to not only move their bodies, but also tell a story. Soloist Britanny Bryan captured the heart and soul of the piece with her strong physical and emotional presence. Every piece of this work, from the monochromatic black costuming and props, to the haunting music of Max Richter, McDonald’s work was able to take her audience on her tale of grief and loss. Requiem was indeed a story well told.

This year Artistic Director Barbara McDaniel and her team promised a mature presentation with varied pieces, and that they delivered. At the heart of the presentation, storytelling through dance was a common thread which found its way through all the pieces.

The opening number 2276, a post-apocalyptic odyssey choreographed by Onaje Bell, set the tone for the a great evening of dance. This dance work showcased the physicality of the dancers as Bell required a certain amount of agility to bring the story to life. This new work is timeless and has that long shelf life quality, and therefore should be part of the repertoire for years to come.

The story of the 2009 fire at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre was the centre of Spoken Fires choreographed by Michael Holgate. A heady piece, this work showcased Holgate’s ability to be experimental yet creative in portraying what is a sad day in the country’s history. His use of spoken word, as opposed to music as accompaniment must be applauded as this served to make the piece more poignant.

Liane Williams chose props as her means of telling a story in Beatzz. The prop of choice here was a pair of headphones, which added a new dimension to the work and made for an interesting point of reference. Set to the music of deejay Popcaan, Williams’ choreography was light and fresh and added another dimension to the presentation. In keeping with storytelling mode, Cry Out was that oft told tale of the forces of good and evil set against a background of church and the world. The highlight of this was the performance by Shelley-Anne Foster, who sang live for the final movement of this work.

Other works presented were Surrender, the solo Secret Moments featuring Tara Price and, McDaniel’s signature Motherland. Due to the pulsating beat of the last, it is imperative that the wardrobe team find ways of securing the costumes to the dancers. Far too often have there been wardrobe malfunctions which leaves dancers clutching to costuming or finding creative but far too obvious means of removing fallen pieces from the stage.

Again, DTX family can take a well-deserved bow for the presentation of their 21st season of dance. Now that the company has truly come of age, it is hoped that the level of excellence and maturity will continue.