The Berkeley Institute will be hosting a dance production called #theTour. Young Observer got up close and personal with some of the dancers to learn more about the upcoming concert. Nikia Manders, dance teacher and instructional leader told us that “the students have worked diligently and are truly looking forward to the concert.”

“My name is Gilat Smith. I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember! However, the most exciting dance programme that I have been involved in is The Berkeley Institute’s Dance Programme. While at The Berkeley Institute, I’ve studied ballet, bodern, African and hip hop dance. Modern and hip hop are my favourite. I dance every single day without fail. The dance room is always available and I take advantage of that. In my opinion, #theTour will be one of the best dance concerts on the island. There will be a variety of pieces performed, and lots of different dance genres. My favourite piece in the entire show is called OTR (On The Run) it’s a 15-minute piece choreographed by Jaidah Bailey and Raèl Simons. This piece was inspired by my favourite artist Beyoncè. Although this dance is extremely long, I can’t wait to perform this piece and showcase my talent!”

“My name is Desireé Furbert. I am 17 years old and I am an S4 student attending The Berkeley Institute. I have only been dancing for three years of my life but I have grown to fall in love with it. The style of dance I study and am most interested in is ballet. I study ballet at United Dance Production (UDP). On February 27 and 28, The Berkeley Institute will be presenting to the public a dance concert entitled #theTour, starting at 7pm sharp. This will be my first time ever participating in The Berkeley Institute’s Dance Concert and I must say, this show is nothing anyone would want to miss! I encourage everyone to come out and support all the dancers who will be participating in #theTour! We have all worked hard and diligently to put together choreography to perform for all of Bermuda! So come out and join us on #theTour!”

“My name is Jalen Means. I am an S4 at The Berkeley Institute. I have been dancing since I was two years old and have studied jazz, ballet, hip hop, African and modern at The Berkeley Institute. I dance four times a week at school. #theTour is a dance concert that showcases all different styles of dance from every year level. Most of the pieces are choreographed by the students. Since it is my last year, I wanted to be in as many dances as possible. In the concert I am in eight dances and I am very excited because this will be the last time I get to participate in The Berkeley Institute dance concert. “

“My name is Asha Robinson. I am currently in my senior year of high school and have been dancing since the age of three. Although I have taken a few breaks from dancing over the years, my love for it has never changed. I am able to relieve stress and express my feelings through this wonderful art, five days a week. Having studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and hip hop outside of school, I am thrilled to be participating in the Berkeley Institutes Dance Concert #theTour for the very first time. #theTour is a combination of a variety of dances and music, from modern to hip hop; R&B to dance hall. Everyone that’ll be coming out to watch and support will thoroughly enjoy the concert.”

“My name is Jaha. I’ve been dancing with Ms Manders for two years now. I’ve studied hip hop, ballet, modern, and jazz. Each week I dance on four different occasions, one in which is a double period. #theTour is a mixture of many different dance styles, we’ve made it fun, funky, and exciting for the entire audience. Our cast collectively incorporated old school, new school, slow, medium, and upbeat songs. Some pieces are mysterious and you’ll never know how the dance will make you feel until the end of each performance. I encourage everyone and anyone to come and make #theTour a success, the show will not be complete without a full house!”

“My name is Rickeisha Lynn Trott. I am in my senior year of The Berkeley Institute. I partake in Dance Production at school and have been taking dance over the four years I’ve attended The Berkeley Institute. My first two years of Berkeley I was participating in dance groups/co outside of school and I guess you can say that has helped with the way I dance. With Ms Manders being my dance teacher she has taught us about the different styles of dance. We have learned ballet, modern, hip-hop, contemporary and we even tried a little bit of tap. Learning different styles were fun but I have to say modern and hip hop is the best in my eyes. I take dance about four times out of the week and out of these four Wednesday is a double period. This allows us to get as much dance and practice in as possible. On February 27 and 28, we will be putting on a Dance Concert, The Tour. In #theTour you will see different students from The Berkeley Institute put forward all their effort into their dances. You will get to see the different styles we have been taught and how we incorporate our own personal style to make the show all the better. We all have been practicing after school very hard to make the show a success and I have a feeling it will be just that!”

“My name is Azana Riley. I have been dancing at The Berkeley Institute for almost four years now. I have studied ballet, hip hop, modern, jazz and African. I dance four times throughout the school week. #theTour is an amazing dance show performed and choreographed by Berkeley students. We are working hard to ensure that everyone enjoys the dance concert. This is my last year at The Berkeley Institute and I look forward to showcasing my talents for the last time as a high school student.”