The essence of Astor

A PRAYING mantis aggressively and without remorse consumes her male partner after intercourse; female dancers elegantly circle the stage with large baskets; the entire company commands the stage with Fusion, a celebration of African-Caribbean dance. This is the choreography of Astor Johnson, being revived this month by his Repertory Dance Theatre, and showcased at the Little Carib Theatre.

It seems almost fitting that Astor’s spirit and artistic vision are being summoned now. This week began with us celebrating the life and memory of Shadow, another artist ahead of his time.

It ended with All Saints Day, which the Christian community commemorates as “an opportunity for worshippers to remember saints and martyrs throughout Christian history”, and All Souls Day another Christian tradition of venerating ancestors. In between, Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead – was observed in Mexico to celebrate rather than mourn loved ones who have passed on.

A tradition that originated amongst the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples, it is believed that during the three days of the celebrations “the gates of heaven open and allow the spirits of deceased ancestors to reunite with their families…”

So in many ways, every time Astor’s work is performed, it causes a rejuvenation of his essence, a crossing over if you like, between the realms. In a deliberate effort to keep that connection, some of the original members of Repertory have been quietly documenting and remounting his signature pieces. Perhaps more importantly, they have been teaching young dancers Astor’s work to ensure that it lives beyond them, beyond Astor.

In the 1970s Astor realised his dream of forming a dance company that would showcase to the Caribbean and the world a uniquely T&T dance aesthetic.

His choreography, although permeated by jazz, ballet and contemporary styles, was predominantly Afro-Caribbean. The influences of traditional African belief systems, cultural forms and movement echo across his repertoire – Danse Negre, A song for Yemanja, The Tribal City, Africa Africa, Ceremony of the Drum and She, inspired by Lasana Kwesi’s poem of the same name, with music by the legendary André Tanker.

“She is a woman who has borne insults from the world/on her back she has cradled mankind/in gentle arms/She is a woman astray/in search of the right way/She is a woman perched/Majestically on the revolution’s throne/She – She alone/And she is Black.”

The mood of the era fuelled Astor’s creativity, but also opened up a space that allowed him to be political as well. It was an important period for dance in the English speaking Caribbean. Pioneers like Rex Nettleford co-founder of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, used his craft to celebrate African dance traditions and address issues of post-colonial identity.

In Trinidad, Beryl Mc Burnie experimented with the blending of dance, pan and even Carnival. In 1972 Astor choreographed Defiant Era, inspired by CLR James’ book about the Haitian Revolution, Black Jacobins. The six-part piece centred on Toussaint L’Ouverture one of the leaders of the revolution, and his personal struggles during this period.

A few years later, Astor would choreograph to Brother Valentino’s Stay up Zimbabwe which denounced the apartheid system in South Africa and called on warrior energies to defeat it.

Astor’s commentary on our social condition is sadly, still relevant today. Overlaying his movement onto the music of Bob Marley, he created Sorrows, a lament, performed by women dressed spiritually in white, heads tied and full skirts. “Woman hold her head and cry/Cause her son had been shot down in the street and die/From a stray bullet/ Woman hold her head and cry/Explaining to her was a passer-by…/She cried Oh I know, Johnny was a good man...”

In rehearsal, Roxanne would not accept less than perfection. And this is as it should be. This was Astor’s work that we were performing and it had to be just right. She admits though “Astor was not like this, he would not fuss if everyone was not positioned exactly the same. He would not stop and fix and fix like we are doing now. He would be more concerned about the passion you put into your performance.”

The quietly passionate Astor passed away in 1985 causing a gulf that was felt around the world by those who were impacted by his work. We dance as part of our ritual to honour him. But perhaps like the indigenous peoples, we too are asking for the heavens to open and allow his spirit to remind us that our focus must always be on the dance, only the dance.

Dara E. Healy is a performance artist, communications specialist and founder of the NGO, the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN.