A few years ago Renee McDonald had an ‘aha’ moment. It came during an exchange with noted choreographer Dr L’Antoinette Stines – artistic director of L’Acadco.

“She told me that choreography was a gift from God that I was simply born with. It was definitely a turning point for me.”

Since then, McDonald’s expertise has been put to good use by some of the top local dance troupes including the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC), Dance Theatre Xaymaca, L’ACADCO, Campion College Dance Society, and The Company Dance Theatre — which she calls home.

In recent season, McDonald’s work has lifted the repertoire of these companies making her one of Jamaica’s most in-demand choreographers. For Dance Theatre Xaymaca (DTX), she created Requiem, which premiered at that troupe’s 2016 season of dance at the Little Theatre in St Andrew. Among her works for The Company is The Cellar; for the NDTC, it was Into the Blue (False Awakening), while her works for Campion includes Olympus Rises.

— Richard Johnson