MONTEGO BAY, St James — As the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) prepares to make history with the closing performance of its 64th anniversary season to be hosted by First Dance Studios in Montego Bay next month, the first time the company will conclude its season outside Kingston, influential voices from the private and public sectors are intensifying calls for the establishment of a dedicated performing arts centre in western Jamaica.

Leading that appeal is chief executive officer of S Hotels Jamaica Christopher Issa, who used Wednesday’s media launch for the August 16 closing performance to argue that western Jamaica can no longer afford to be without a purpose-built venue for theatre, dance and other cultural productions. The NDTC show will be staged at Iberostar Rosehall’s theatre, usually reserved for in-house guests.

Speaking with reporters after the press launch, Issa said that despite Jamaica’s international reputation for music, dance and culture, the western end of the country continues to rely on unsuitable venues, limiting opportunities for performers and audiences alike.

“We have produced dancers who have commanded international stages. We have created music that has changed the world. Our culture has travelled farther than our size, our population or our economic power might ever have predicted,” Issa argued.

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon speaking at the S Hotel Montego Bay on Wednesday during the launch of the National Dance Theatre Company Limited’s closing performance of its 64th anniversary season, to be hosted by First Dance Studios in Montego Bay next month.

“But here in western Jamaica, our artistes, dance companies, musicians, schools and cultural organisations continue to struggle to find appropriate spaces in which to perform,” he added.

The hotelier contended that a world-class performing arts centre would nurture emerging talent, attract local and international productions and serve as a cultural hub for communities across western Jamaica.

Issa hailed Montego Bay-based First Dance Studios for partnering with the NDTC to bring the landmark performance to the tourism resort city, describing it as a significant milestone that further demonstrates the need for permanent cultural infrastructure. The call quickly found support from Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, who said the city’s young performers have earned the right to a permanent home for the performing arts.

“I’ve attended several recitals over the past months, and I must say that the young people in Montego Bay have earned the right to have at least a mini theatre in the city of Montego Bay, so that they are not dealing with only a location for an event, but an institution that will harness their talent and make them even greater performers and citizens of Jamaica,” Vernon said.

He urged central government to give serious consideration to the project while pledging that the municipality and private sector stakeholders stand ready to play their part.

First Dance Studios co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jody Marie Smith, speaking at the S Hotel Montego Bay on Wednesday, during the launch of the National Dance Theatre Company Limited’s closing performance of its 64th anniversary season. It will be hosted by First Dance Studios in Montego Bay next month.

“We are not just sitting in a corner begging, we are prepared to put our hands, hearts, and monies together to make it a reality. Just as we have done for the Catherine Hall Stadium, we will do it for the performing arts,” the mayor declared.

However, First Dance Studios co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jody Marie Smith argued that western Jamaica should aim even higher than a small theatre.

“The gala is therefore much more than a fund-raiser; it’s an investment in the future of western Jamaica, but our vision extends even further. First Dance was founded in 2013. One dream has remained constant since we’ve been founded: To see western Jamaica become home to a dedicated performing arts centre with a professional theatre… I would dare to say, not a mini theatre. I challenge our mayor,” Smith quipped.

She noted that for more than a decade the studio has advocated for greater investment in the west’s cultural infrastructure because “our artistes deserve it. We deserve world-class facilities, our audiences deserve world-class experiences, and our young people deserve the opportunity to dream without leaving western Jamaica”.

Chairman of National Dance Theatre Company Milton Samuda (left) and his deputy, Justice Hilary Phillips, in conversation with Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon at S Hotel Montego Bay on Wednesday. They were at the launch of the dance group’s closing performance of its 64th anniversary season, to be hosted by First Dance Studios at the Iberostar Rosehall theatre on August 16. (Photo: Horace Hines)

Smith also outlined how the initiative that culminated in the historic NDTC performance emerged from tragedy. She explained that First Dance Studios was extensively damaged by Hurricane Melissa more than eight months ago, with floodwaters destroying its dance floor, equipment and costumes.

“As we began rebuilding, something remarkable happened. Our students came back, other creatives came back, our community stood beside us. And in that moment… I realised something that has shaped everything that we’re doing today: Creative spaces are not a luxury; they are essential,” she said.

According to Smith, the turning point came after NDTC Artistic Director Marlon Simms approached Mayor Vernon about bringing the company to Montego Bay as part of strengthening the city’s resilience through arts and culture. Vernon subsequently introduced Simms to First Dance Studios, whose work in arts education and youth development made it a natural partner.

“As Marlon and I began to talk… we quickly realised that we shared the same belief [that] this could be much more than a performance. It could be a catalyst for inspiring young people, a catalyst for strengthening our creative economy, and a catalyst for bringing a world-class performing arts to western Jamaica,” Smith said.

She added that the gala supporting the performance will help First Dance continue rebuilding after the hurricane while safeguarding one of western Jamaica’s few accessible creative spaces.

Members of the audience at S Hotel during Wednesday’s launch of the National Dance Theatre Company’s performance of the closing of its 64th anniversary season, which will be hosted by First Dance Studios in Montego Bay on August 16.

“It is also about ensuring that our nearly 300 students every week continue to have a safe space to dance, sing, act, create, learn, and belong. It’s also about preserving a creative hub that serves our artists, our teachers, community groups, and more than 170 creative organisations and individuals… because when creative spaces survive, communities thrive. When young people have access to the arts, communities become stronger. When culture is invested in, economies grow,” she said.

For Smith, the NDTC’s decision to close its anniversary season in Montego Bay carries significance far beyond a single performance.

“Just think about that. For 64 years, the season has concluded in our capital city. This year, history will be made in Montego Bay. It tells our children that excellence belongs here too. It tells our artists that their community matters. It tells every creative that they no longer have to leave home to experience one of Jamaica’s greatest cultural institutions,” she said.