Dancer and choreoghapher Heather Henderson-Gordon’s first full-scale collection of her works was presented on stage at the Little Carib Theatre last week. The name of the production was, quite simply, “H”. It featured dancing talents such as Arlene Frank, Louanna Martin, Deon Baptiste, elisha bartels, Kevin Jack and Kwasi Romero. “I’m honouring the 25th anniversary of La Danse Caraibe. It started last year with a school show, and it’s ending with this production. The funds we raise will go to the Danse Caraibe Scholarship and Building Fund.” Apart from Henderson-Gordon’s original choreography, the show also featured classic works created for La Danse Caraibe and the Noble Douglas Dance Company. La Danse Caraibe has seen and influenced the evolution of a generation of dancers, from as young as age three. Some of them who have gone on to further study, even full-fledged careers in dance, returned to perform on stage for their mentor. Although her heart and soul are always filled with dance, it’s been a while since she strapped on her shoes. “I don’t have time. Between raising children and the business….” She trails off, but her situation isn’t lost on most women. Her last few sojourns onto the stage, though, were quite momentous. “I performed in 1994, an honour performance for the patrons and Board of Queen’s Hall, and again in 2010.”
She misses the stage, naturally, but don’t cry for her. “Every dancer misses it, but you make choices in life. I danced a lot fight through to my thirties. I danced at Juliard, in New York.” She has also danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. “So it’s not as if I didn’t fulfill my peak.” Because of immigration clampdowns in the US at the time, however, her stay there wasn’t as long as it could have been, but she doesn’t regret returning, marrying and devoting her time to raising her two now-grown sons. “I’m satisfied with where I got in my technical ability.” But as many local artistes have found, making a living through performing alone is rare, and Henderson-Gordon has donned a few business pumps in her time, working in insurance and administration. After putting in a day at the office, she still finds the energy to teach from 4:00 pm to 8:00 p.m. Apart from running her school, she has also found work with corporate clients, and choreographs for fetes and local music bands like the Blackout and Kromatiq hip hop dance crews, most of whom are alumni. “I’m also involved in the arts. I’ve been Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of the National Dance Association, and an ordinary executive member as well.” Apart from the almost universal lament that money doesn’t exactly flow in the direction of the arts, she also thinks that, for an artist, respect and recognition are hard-won prizes. “You have to work hard for that. The psyche in the social and business sector needs to change.
Businesspeople may want you to create something for them, and yet they come to you two weeks before. You’re rehearsing with 6 or 7 people, every night, and they want to pay you $2,000. They think anybody can do it.” How can they solve this problem? “Dance needs to support dance. They don’t realize their power as a group.” Undercutting each other on price, for example, lowers the value of the entire market. She also has hopes for greater governmental involvement in promoting the arts. “They push the Best Village, which is good on its own, but I don’t think the whole standard has improved enough, but I believe it could. There’s a creative side of dance that’s not happening.” Among the things she’d like to see more of is workshops, and more exploration of the many other different dance genres. “I think the government is trying, they’ve voiced an intent to participate, and I think they’ll try.”
For her own part, she has contributed by offering scholarships to children who otherwise couldn’t afford lessons. Through La Danse Caraibe and other avenues, Henderson-Gordon continues to make her mark on dance in T&T, not just in classical dance and ballet, but hip hop, folk, and tap. “You get a feel of total movement.” And she doesn’t just talk about creating local content, she lives it. She was flag woman for Phase Two for many years “I have another idea right now,” she hints, but isn’t ready to come out with it yet. “When I do it, I hope the corporate sector and government get involved.” And while she’s waiting, she continues to teach her students how to quote poetry with their feet, transforming them into instruments she can guide like a maestro conducts an orchestra. Heather Henderson-Gordon in early days as a professional dancer with the Julliard School, the La Chapelle Douglas Dance Company and the Noble Doulgas Dance Company. Photos courtesy Heather Henderson-Gordon.
