Beautiful Rivalry

She was once his rival but now his partner ...this best describes the start of a striking dance partnership between Kemar Bennett and Ivanna Strancaric.

The two recently made a special appearance at the 2015 Legends of the floor amateur ballroom and Latin dance competition hosted annually by the Livvy and Betty Alleyne dance centre.

With 11 years experience in dance, which started at the aforementioned dance centre, Kemar recalled his amateur years. “The first few months started as a punishment” he admitted.

 After being kicked out of chess club he took up Ballroom dancing, “I was forced to take Ballroom classes...It was Horrible,” He mentioned or so he thought.

But little did he know he was in for a surprise, “I went to Trinidad with the [Dance]group,” said Kemar. That very trip he added “Opened my eyes to the fact that there’s a lot of opportunity and [dance] is something I enjoy doing.”

Kemar’s dance instructors never let up “, Uncle Livvy always use to scream at me about having good technique [while] Aunty Betty yelled bout practicing always,” said Kemar.

Drilling those fundamentals made him the pro dancer he is today, as Kemar admits “They [Livingstone and Betty Alleyne] built the foundation that got me to be as disciplined as I am...wanting to grow and work hard “

I started to take dancing more seriously and started to branch out and look for other things outside of Barbados and see where it can go.

Kemar who now resides overseas shared that “A year ago, I actually first saw Ivana at a competition we competed against each other …in Boston Quincy” said Kemar.

From there he approached her on partnership, the two currently partners one year now. But what does he like the most about Ivana as a partner? “Everything"he admits with laughter.

“ It is just a calming exciting partnership there is just never real moments of frustration” he said,  adding that there’s always room for humor, “ Always a moment to laugh ...makes a difference as were working so hard, that we can actually enjoy [dancing] at the same time.”

“I would definitely agree on the fun part” Ivanna approved.  She added that sometimes she and Kemar don’t feel like practicing especially in the morning because of the three and a half hour distance

“it gets …. Uhhh I don’t want to do it and then somehow when you start to dance your energy just grows and we do our thing,” said Ivana.

The two are also professional dance instructors of the Fred Astaire Franchise Dance Studios, so this being her first time in Barbados, after last Saturdays competition Ivana believes dance in Barbados has lots of potential “I think with good training which I think [local dancers] have and practice they would be very good.”

Kemar who is also pleased with the level of dance exhibited wants to urge Barbadians and local fans especially to continuously support the youth that dance, “realize that they actually love it and they enjoy it.”- “The only way they can progress is if they have the funding and the emotional support to keep [dancing]."

He too stress that Patrons never under estimate that attendance at competitions such as legends of the floor , “ This is big as it might seem small but when we are on the floor competing and people around us actually screaming ...supporting you” that he stressed “  makes  the world of difference.” (RT)

"Highlights" 

Walkaton with purpose

 

 

The wish granting charity was on the move, last Saturday as the Precious Touch Foundation held their ‘Charity Extravaganza’ at Deighton Griffith school & a Costumed Walkathon' as a two in one fund raising venture.

 

 

The costume walkathon started at the Deighton Griffith School, as the hiking team “Xtreme hikers Barbados” led participants on a journey through various sections of Kingsland, accompanied by a live tuk band.

 

The enthused participants did indeed came out costumed as various characters ranging from princesses, superheroes along with other cartoon and action figures, to support the cause. Some even added creative twist as one participant Kavan Connolly’s came costumed as a “walking shower”.

 

 

Though some brief showers came as the weather changed, vice president St.Auban Challender believes that “though we had some rain…The walkathon came off well despite the weather.” he said. ”Things [were] slow for a while” he added while having good hopes.

 

 

This event was the first major fund-raiser which the charity held for the

year. Vice president St.Auban Challender said “This is the second year we have actually had the walkathon.”

 “Last year it was a superhero [themed] walkathon, this year we have opened it to all costumes” he explained. 

Challender revealed the original idea came from volunteers from the American University of Barbados School of medicine.

 

 “They started it as a fund raiser on the behalf of the foundation and we decided to continue with it as an annual event” he added along with the charity extravaganza.

Adrian Millington Technical director hopes for the publics continued support as they at the precious touch foundation “work to help the children fulfill their wishes” he said.

 

Highlights

Happy Kingsland resident looking on.



Another resisdent enjoying the sounds of the tuk band.

St Ursula girls say Goodbye



Graduate Chelsi Barrow accepting her Scroll

 

 

Featured speaker Cherise Renwick

The Ideal St Ursula girl “…wasn’t the student that got the highest grades [but] it was the all rounded student that tired the hardest,” as former student Cherise Renwick described while she addressed the 2015 graduates of the Ursuline convent school Last Saturday, evening.

Renwick acknowledged that technology has huge impact on the current generation “Your generation has it easier and harder, “she said.

Recalling the days when she had to solely rely on library books like encyclopedia’s and hand write each project.

While acknowledging that “Now we have Google, you click it and there’s a wealth of information,” Which she describes as “an information overload most times.”

She advised graduates not to take the information at face value, but rather go deeper “you have to figure out what’s right [and] wrong, put it together get the relevance.”

She acknowledged that struggles will always surface in life, “We will always lose balance, we are all imperfect,” Renwick stressed “You are not meant to be perfect but you are meant to strive for it.

Head girl Artie samdass, delivered the valedictorian speech while sharing a valuable life lesson which taught her not to be shackled by her emotions. “Sometimes in life we let our emotions consume all that we are,” she said. Which as a result, “…Can take us into a place of darkness,” she revealed.

Samdass urged fellow graduates that their emotions, pain and failures are all temporary, “It may last few days, weeks or even months but it will subside, she reassured.

“ [Choosing] to quit brings along your greatest defeat and permanent regrets,” she advised. “T he temptation to quit will always be the greatest before you succeed,” Added Samdass.

“Girls, I want you to make wise choices because your choices make you,” she told them.

The graduates participated in a short candle light ceremony, where they lit each other candles and placed them in the shape of a heart.

 

 





Deputy Tamara Dickson collecting her scroll.



Abigail Greaves Played a Spanish song on her violin.