Praise Academy of Dance Barbados
began in 2003; it is an affiliate of Praise Academy of Dance
Jamaica which was established by C. Patricia Noble in 1993.
Seen here the Praise Academy of Dance (boys)
who picked up the 'Dance
Act of the Year' at the Flame Awards 2006 held
at the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium on Saturday March 3rd 2007.
This inter-denominational, non-profit
company, headed by Artistic Director Marcia Weekes, has a roll
of 185+ students and a 7 member staff.
This Christian school brings a message
of hope, encouragement and empowerment to their audiences while
promoting culture and the arts. They have achieved many awards
from the Barbados National Independence Festival of Creative Arts
(NIFCA).
These include a Gold award in 2003,
the award for most promising piece 2003, one Silver and one Bronze
award in 2004 and in 2005 they were the only group in the festival
awarded with Gold. They also won two Flame Awards for Dance Group
of the Year 2004 and 2005 and now 2006!
Some above Marcia and Dave Weekes
son Dan-Jamal receiving his award for Creative Act of the Year
from the Flame Awards 2006 and (left) performing for Heidi
Bakerand the team from Catch The Wave. (Click to
enlarge)
The mission of Praise Academy,
as we present the Gospel of Christ through Dance, is:
Marcia was ordained as a minister in October 2001. She, having been
a dancer herself and further having danced with Harlem Tabernacle
Dance Ministries in New York, U.S.A., has pioneered the start of several
dance ministries in Jamaica and New York.
Marcia
is also the Director and Co-coordinator with her husband Dave, (right)
of Taking It To The Streets Ministries (TITTS) which is an evangelistic
ministry which has pioneered missions to Jamaica, Barbados, Montserrat,
Curacao and New York. In addition, she co-coordinated arts conferences
in Puerto Rico and Jamaica International Christian Dance Fellowship.
In 2002, Marcia initiated the start of the Gospelfest Dancers, and
thereafter was requested of the board of Praise Academy (Jamaica)
to pioneer the start of Praise Academy of Dance (Barbados)
Choreographer
and designer Marcia Weekes of the Christian group, Praise Academy
Of Dance Barbados, pointed to the NCF's developmental work beyond
wuk-up and revelry, stating that NIFCA had provided her group with
critical feedback and ideas.
These, she said, had led to the formulation of their
multi-media production, Speak Life, which was currently touring.
"We can testify to the NCF not being only about
wuk-up culture, because NIFCA has been a great stage from which to
promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ," she added.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Reverend Joseph
Atherley, said though one had to be concerned about the prevalence
of "wuk-up", there was much more involved in local culture
such as the sterling efforts of some NCF staff, who were dedicated
and took pleasure in their work.
