Astor Johnson 'Rep' observes International Dance Day

INTERNATIONAL Dance Day (IDD) will be celebrated on April 27 by the Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre (AJRDT), fondly known as “Rep.”

Performers will offer a lively presentation of dancing and drumming – titled Friends in Dance – at the Little Carib Theatre, White and Robert Streets, Woodbrook, on April 27 from 5 pm.

Astor Johnson was an intellectual, dancer, choreographer and artistic director, who founded his dance theatre in 1972. Johnson died in 1985, leaving a legacy in dance that has been awakened by Rep. He was one of the foremost choreographers in the region, earning many accolades and in1991 was posthumously awarded the Hummingbird Silver Medal for his contribution to culture.

The AJRDT has been reviving the profound and timeless work of the late Astor Johnson, advocating and fostering an emphasis on dance education as a choice for youth development and performing the work in the spirit and standard set, promoted and taught by Johnson.

For last year's international dance day, Rep collaborated with the Little Carib Theatre to honour Johnson and the late Beryl McBurnie, another well-known, versatile Trinidadian dance icon, who established the theatre in 1948. Rep is now committed to celebrating dance and theatre annually in observance of International Dance Day. This year, Friends in Dance will present the works of dance groups such as the North West Laventille Cultural Movement, the IBIS Trinidad and Tobago Performers, students of the degree programme at The UWI and schools selected by the Secondary Schools Dance Educators Association of TT.

International Dance Day is a global celebration of dance designated by Unesco through its International Dance Council to raise public awareness of dance as an art form, a means of cultural expression and an educational tool. Governments and educational institutions are encouraged to integrate dance into the education system, ensuring its accessibility from primary to higher education.

Rep believes in youth development, dance education and dance legacy. It has as its motto: “Looking from a wider window of dance through the eyes of Astor Johnson, we awake his legacy.”

The AJRDT is also gearing up for its major dance season in late June 2025, and its own presentation for IDD at the Little Carib Theatre is just a teaser.

Tickets are available from members of AJRDT and at the Little Carib box office.