FALMOUTH, Trelawny – IT was with a keen eye that dance instructor and choreographer Joan Shields watched her charges as they performed at a recent event in Water Square, Falmouth. The group of nine young women twirled and spun in a cultural piece, much to the delight and excitement of those watching.

Shields is director of the Trelawny Song and Dance Ensemble, a group that she helped establish in 1980 and has led since 1990. While others moved on she stuck around, providing dance lessons and routines to thousands of individuals.

She explained how she initially got involved in the group.

“After leaving Falmouth All Age a friend of mine used to dance with the school and he decided to start the dance group. He came to my house and asked me to be a part of it and we started practising right down here in 1980,” she told the Jamaica Observer West. “I have been a part of this group as a member but [was] always involved in the leadership aspect as well, and I have worked with thousands of people over the years in something that I enjoy doing.”

Among those she has coached and taught over the last 33 years are participants in the local leg of Jamaica Cultural Development Committee’s (JCDC) Miss Jamaica Festival Queen competition. Despite not being professionally trained, Shields has honed her craft to attain an enviable level of skill.

“I have won awards for the Most Outstanding Teacher and the Ivy Baxter Award for Excellence,” she noted.

Her students have benefited from lessons on a wide variety of dance techniques such as kumina, mento, ska, dancehall, praise, rock and roll.

“We are mainly a festival group but we do just about anything, dance just about anywhere, any function,” Shields told Observer West.

The group has represented Trelawny at a number of JCDC finals in Kingston and won a number of gold medals. Shields is also proud of the group’s accomplishments outside of Jamaica.

“We represented the country abroad in 2015 in… the United States [at the] Fort Lauderdale International Trade and Cultural Expo. It was a great experience, especially for the dancers,” she said.

Now all they need is a bit of financial help so as to take advantage of the opportunities that sometimes come their way.

“Support is lacking, no help; sometimes I have to use my personal money,” Shields lamented.

But she doesn’t plan on slowing down.

In fact, she is now planning a drive to recruit more members to the group. There are now 24 students and Shields is looking forward to growing those numbers as she seeks to breathe new life into the dance group. She plans to once again have adults on the team.

“I am forming back the adult group and working on the teenagers and the younger ones, so we are going to work with the three age groups,” she explained.

She is hoping word will spread about her plans.

“Sometimes friends will encourage friends,” she said.

She anticipates that the group will see significant growth by 2025.