Rachel Questelles wants to bring La Reine Rive crown back to Tobago

RACHEL QUESTELLES is a born artiste.

The talented performer topped the preliminaries in the Miss La Reine Rive segment of the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition at Mason Hall Secondary School on May 18.

Questelles, 26, who performed under the banner of the Encore Dance Theatre, delivered mind-blowing performances in both the self-expression and talent categories. It is the first time the dance theatre has entered the La Reine Rive competition.

“I topped the prelims nationally and it felt amazing,” she told Newsday on August 28.

“I felt as though it was a great opportunity for Tobago to be able to place within the competition itself. I know that last year, no one from Tobago made it. So this year it was a great experience for the island to be able to not just be a part of the finals but to actually place first in the prelims.”

She said Tobago has not won the Miss La Reive Rive queen competition in 30 years.

“Even though Tobagonians have been participating, it’s been several years since they have won the Miss La Reine Rive competition, since about 1994, I believe.”

Her self-expression piece was, essentially, a tribute to Pembroke, regarded by many as the island’s cultural capital.

“It was an evocative and meticulously crafted performance in which I sought to embody the rich cultural heritage of Pembroke. The piece reverently celebrated the enduring traditions that have shaped our community’s identity.”

In the talent segment, she performed an engaging monologue interspersed with dance.

“The piece delved into the profound ways our ancient customs can serve as a healing force for our nation. That performance, which seamlessly integrated elements of traditional folk dance stood as a powerful testament to the resilience and relevance of our cultural legacy.”

During the preliminaries, Questelles said she also focused on a topical contemporary issue – the alarming surge in child mortality at the Port of Spain General Hospital – casting a critical eye on the Ministry of Health’s response.

Her presentations and those of the other competitors in the prelims were replicated in the final of the talent and self-expression competition on August 24 at the Southern Academy of the Performing Arts (SAPA), San Fernando. At the SAPA, Questelles was also among the standout performers.

In the final, though, Questelles dealt with the country’s crime situation – murders, shootings, wounding, robberies – and how deeply it was affecting citizens.

“I delved into how can we heal the nation.”

She said while the concepts that underpinned her performances in both the preliminaries and finals remained consistent, the latter was substantially embellished to “elevate content that resonated with the gravitas of the final showcase.

“At SAPA, we could have used additional props. So for the self-expression, I was a passenger for my character and I had a car built on the stage. For my talent in the finals, I was able to have the whole stage lit up as a cemetery, I had props like tombstones and a table set up to ring my bell and have a calabash.”

The pieces were conceptualised and directed by Kedisha Thomas while the choreography was done by Encore Dance Theatre founder and managing director Tyrese Montano and the Tobago Performing Arts Company’s (TPAC’s) dance and movement co-ordinator Shakeil Jones.

“The collaboration blended narrative depth with choreographic precision to create a performance that was as intellectually compelling as it was emotionally resonant.”

Questelles, who was once worked with the National Carnival Commission, joined the TPAC as a dance resident in 2023. That same year she also became involved with the Encore Dance Theatre, several months after its inception.

She said as a child she gravitated naturally to dance. Her late mother, Shelly Ann Questelles, was a well-known dancer who performed and choreographed for various events, including Sanfest and Youth for Christ.

Questelles said her mother’s death in 2016 affected her deeply.

“It was a real blow and I actually stopped dancing for two years.”

But she could not repress her passion for dance.

Several years ago, Questelles received a scholarship to the Candace Clarke Dance Academy. This led to a dance tour in Jamaica in which she was exposed to folk dance.

Afterwards, Questelles received another scholarship from the Maraval-based Linda Pollard Lake Danse Assemble.

She danced with the group for four years and wrote exams in modern theatre jazz and ballet, levels one to three. Questelles received distinctions in all of her dance exams from the Imperial School of Dance, UK.

The articulate young woman said during her career, she has also danced and produced music videos with several soca artistes, including Machel Montano, Olatunji Yearwood, Nadia Batson, Shal Marshall (Stephenson Marshall), Patrice Roberts, Voice (Aaron St Louis), Juby (Jumaane Cox).and reigning Tobago soca monarch Num Num (Adrian Isaac).

Although she is a dancer at heart, Questelles said she also has been injecting theatre into her performances. She said her decision to pursue a degree in theatre arts (with a minor in carnival studies) at UWI, St Augustine, in 2019, was done with this in mind.

Her specialties, though, are contemporary and folk dance.

Asked how she regards dance in the framework of Tobago’s culture, Questelles said, “I see dance being the way that we communicate, the way that Tobagonians express themselves and show appreciation for their love of the island. There is dance in every single thing that we do here in the island.

“When it comes to Salaaka Feast (Pembroke’s presentation for the Tobago Heritage Festival), when it comes to harvest, there is dance at every point of the island. So if we have cruise ships coming into the island, we are dancing. We have our folk dances, we have our bele dances, we have our jig, we have our reel. If it is we are presenting anything that is the first thing that we do, we open with a dance.”

She said the drums, which often accompany the dancers, are also an integral part of Tobago’s culture.

“It adds a lot but I would say it is the way that Tobagonians show their love for the island and express themselves.

Questelles is on a high heading into Le Grand Z’Affaire, the climax of Miss La Reine Rive competition on September 7 at the National Academy of the Performing Arts, Port of Spain.

On that night, 15 young women are expected to parade in gowns made out of recyclable items.

Five will then be selected for the question and answer segment. Awards will also be presented for best self-expression, talent, hair and make-up.

Questelles said the competition, thus far, has been an unforgettable experience.

“It entailed several months of training in speech, walking, diction, self-expression and talent. But the competition has provided a platform for cultural edification and a display of my love for true Trinbago culture.”

She expressed gratitude to the members of her team as well as the dance theatre for believing in her talent and ability.

Questelles also praised the Best Village competition for driving community development in the performing arts and promoting women’s empowerment through the La Reine Rive competition.

Montano said Questelles is much more than a dancer.

“Rachel embodies a queenly presence through her magnetic charisma and captivating performances,” he told Newsday.

“Whether she is on stage or in rehearsal, her confidence radiates, inspiring those around her to elevate their artistry. With each word and movement, Rachel tells stories that resonate deeply, using her body as a vessel for emotion.”

Her attention to detail in movement and expression, Montano said, “transforms ordinary routines into a force that is extraordinary, leaving audiences spellbound.”

Montano said beyond performance, Questelles always seeks to promote a nurturing environment within her dance community by encouraging creativity and collaboration.

“Her ability to blend grace and strength makes her not just a performer but a true leader.”

He said her performances so far were “nothing short of mesmerising.

“The way in which she brought her character to life was so powerful and captivating. She really has a gift for commanding a space, drawing the audience in and making many feel every emotion.”