NDTC to close season in Montego Bay for first time in 64-year history

The National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) will make history this August when it concludes its annual Season of Dance outside Kingston for the first time since the company’s formation 64 years ago.

The milestone was announced on Wednesday at the S Hotel in Montego Bay during the launch of the NDTC’s closing performance, which will be hosted by Montego Bay-based First Dance Studios at the Iberostar Hotel in Rose Hall on August 16, 2026.

Addressing invited guests, NDTC Artistic Director Marlon Simms described the move as a significant expansion of one of Jamaica’s premier cultural institutions, saying it reflects the company’s commitment to making its work accessible to audiences across the island.

“There are moments in the life of an institution when you know history is being made. Today is one of those moments,” Simms said.

“In August, the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica will officially close its 64th Season of Dance in Montego Bay. For the first time in the company’s 64-year history, the season of dance will officially conclude outside of Kingston. That is no small thing, because this is about much more than taking a performance to another city. It is about extending one of Jamaica’s great cultural traditions to new audiences and creating an opportunity for even more Jamaicans to experience the Season of Dance.”

Simms said the company’s enduring mission has been to celebrate Jamaican identity through dance while fostering pride and confidence in successive generations.

“Every Jamaican deserves the opportunity to see themselves reflected in excellence. That has always been the mission of the NDTC, not simply to present dance, but to help Jamaicans recognise the beauty, the resilience, the creativity, and the brilliance that already exist within our people.”

Reflecting on the company’s founding in 1962 by Professor Rex Nettleford, Eddie Thomas and other pioneering artists, Simms said their work established a uniquely Jamaican movement vocabulary rooted in the island’s African heritage and folk traditions.

“There is something extraordinary that happens when a people see themselves reflected in excellence. They begin to believe, they begin to dream, they begin to imagine what is possible, not only for the artists standing on the stage, but for themselves, for their children, and for their communities.”

He added, “Before we build roads, we must build people. Before we build skylines, we must build confidence; before we build the nation, we must build the belief that says I know who I am, I know where I come from, I know I have something valuable to contribute. That is what culture does, that is what the arts do, and that is what the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica has been doing for the past 64 years.”

Simms said this year’s theme, ‘Rooted, Moving, Rising’, encapsulates the company’s philosophy of honouring its heritage while embracing artistic evolution and inspiring future generations.

The season will also honour the late reggae legend Jimmy Cliff with the restaging of Professor Rex Nettleford’s 1974 choreography dedicated to the internationally acclaimed singer. Simms noted that the production also celebrates the legacy of the company’s longtime musical director Emerita Marjorie Whylie and concludes with a work by Gary Penta.

“It is our way of expressing gratitude to a son of Jamaica, whose voice carried our stories, our struggles, and our dreams to the world,” said Simms.

He continued: “Jimmy Cliff gave Jamaica a voice that reached the world. Professor Rex Nettleford gave that voice movement, and our musical director, Emerita Marjorie Whylie, gave it physical expression through her extraordinary scholarship, her deep understanding of Jamaica’s traditional music, and her lifelong artistic partnership with Professor Nettleford.”

Highlighting the company’s deep ties to western Jamaica, Simms said Montego Bay was a fitting location for the historic finale, noting Professor Nettleford’s Trelawny roots and Cornwall College education, as well as the northern heritage of several company members.

He also expressed gratitude to First Dance Studios, whose partnership will support community rebuilding efforts while reinforcing the role of the arts in national development.

“We’re therefore deeply grateful to First Dance Studios for embracing this vision and serving as the beneficiary of this historic performance. We hope this event will not only contribute to communities that continue to recover, but will also remind us that culture has the power to heal, to unite, to inspire, and to transform,” said Simms.

Looking ahead to Jamaica’s 65th anniversary of Independence in 2027, Simms said the NDTC remains steadfast in its belief in the country’s people and cultural legacy.

“So today, Montego Bay, we extend an invitation. This is your Season of Dance too. This is your story too. This is your National Dance Theatre Company too.”

“Bring your families, bring your friends, bring your children. Let them experience what happens when a nation sees itself reflected in excellence. Let them leave believing that greatness is not something we borrow from somewhere else. It lives here. It has always lived here.”