National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) will open its 64th Season of Dance on Friday, July 17, 2026 at the Little Theatre with a tribute benefit performance honouring Musical Director Emerita Marjorie Whylie.

The evening brings together some of the company’s most celebrated works alongside new creations, making it one of the most anticipated opening nights in recent years.

For more than four decades, Whylie has helped shape the musical identity of the NDTC. As pianist, composer, arranger, educator and musical director, she has inspired generations of musicians, singers and dancers. Her artistic partnership with the company’s co-founder and past Artistic Director Professor Rex Nettleford produced some of the NDTC’s defining works and remains one of the most significant collaborations in Jamaican dance theatre.

Mark Phinn and Kerry-Ann Henry in flight by Garfield Lemonius. (Photo: Stuart Reeves)

A highlight of the evening is the return of Gerrehbenta (1983), Nettleford’s iconic work created in close collaboration with Whylie. Blending movement, music, and ritual, it remains one of the company’s most enduring and recognisable productions.

Opening night also carries special significance following the passing of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. The NDTC will restage Tribute to Cliff (1974), choreographed by Nettleford. Nearly five decades after its premiere, the work returns with renewed meaning as the company celebrates the life and legacy of one of Jamaica’s greatest cultural ambassadors.

Showtime is 8:00 pm.

Audiences will also see David Brown’s critically acclaimed Labess (1995), Troy Powell’s Unscathed (2015), and Ash (2017) by Renée I. McDonald, which has been revisited to include male dancers for the first time. Also featured is an excerpt from Garfield Lemonius’s evocative duet
Flight (2014).

Jimmy Cliff.

The evening will also feature the premiere of
Love, Hope, Freedom, a new suite of songs composed and arranged by Musical Director Dr Kathy Brown and performed by the NDTC Singers and Musicians.

“The work is a response to the growing outcry against violence and promotes peace through love, hope, and the recognition of human rights in Jamaica and, by extension, the wider world,” said Dr Brown.

Artistic Director Marlon D Simms said the season marks an important chapter for the NDTC.

Marjorie Whylie

“We continue to celebrate the legacy that has shaped us, reflect the present, and break new ground for the future. Audiences will see exciting new talent alongside the artists and works they have come to know and love. Every performance is an invitation to celebrate who we are as a people and where we are going as a nation through dance,” he said.

Presented under the theme ‘Rooted, Grounded, Rising’, the 64th Season of Dance honours the celebrates the artists who built the NDTC and introduces a new generation of performers and creators who continue to expand its artistic vision.

The NDTC’s season runs from Friday, July 17 to Sunday, August 9, 2026 at the Little Theatre. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 5:00 pm.