The sixth staging of Plie’ for the Arts’s Amalgamation — The Global Dance Festival was a display of talent and cultural celebration.

Under the patronage of Jamaican-American Janet Roulle, the first black executive to serve as CEO and executive director of the American Ballet Theatre, she commenced the evening with a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Harry Belafonte, honouring the profound impact of art on society with his quote, “Art in its highest form is art that serves and instructs society and human development.”

Guided by the passion and commitment to excellence of executive producer and artistic producer Marisa Benain, an extraordinary ensemble of performances unfolded, encompassing classical, modern, and Jamaican-inspired forms of dance. She expressed that this dream comes alive yearly.

Among the creatives supporting the onstage performances are Michael Holgate, Gregory Simms, Franklyn Halliburton, Roger Hinds, and the renowned Philharmonic Orchestra of Jamaica.

Tessanne Chin and the talented students from the Voice Box Kids stirred hearts with a soulful rendition of We Are The World in tribute to Belafonte.

Among the remarkable performers was one of the world’s few black classical ballerinas Sierra Leone-American Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who now stands as a second soloist with the renowned Boston Ballet. She rose to stardom after starring in the documentary First Position in 2011. DePrince took everyone’s breath away with a flawless display of artistry for In the Empty Room, choreographed by My’kal Stromile.

Another highlight of the evening unfolded as the Plie Senior Collective presented Divulgence choreographed by Renee McDonald, captivating the audience.

The onstage performances elicited the spectrum of emotions — happiness, sadness, anger — all receiving ovation.

American dancer Zoey Anderson mesmerised the crowd with Caught, choreographed by David Parsons, a remarkable stop-motion interpretation with lighting design by Christopher Chambers.

A seeming ode to the Jamaican dance culture was a high-energy dance entitled Move performed by the Senior Collective had everyone moving to the music by Damian Marley’s song of the same name.

Empowered by generous grant funding and the proceeds from the mesmerising showcase, Amalgamation, Plie for the Arts, also includes a series of dance technique workshops, enlightening seminars, and collaboration with prestigious international dance scholarships with renowned dance studios.

A packed audience witnessed the festival of dance in its purest and most authentic form.