NDTC Begins 64th Dance Season Honouring Marjorie Whylie and Jimmy Cliff

The National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) will begin its 64th Season of Dance on Friday, July 17, 2026, at the Little Theatre with a benefit performance paying tribute to Musical Director Emerita Marjorie Whylie. The bill pairs longstanding favourites from the company's catalogue with newly created pieces, making the curtain-raiser one of the most keenly awaited in recent memory.

Whylie has influenced the NDTC's musical character for more than four decades. As pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and musical director, she has guided musicians, singers, and dancers across generations. Her artistic alliance with company co-founder and former Artistic Director Professor Rex Nettleford yielded several of the NDTC's landmark productions and ranks among the most consequential partnerships in Jamaican dance theatre.

Mark Phinn and Kerry-Ann Henry in flight by Garfield Lemonius. (Photo: Stuart Reeves)

A centrepiece of the evening is the return of Gerrehbenta (1983), Nettleford's celebrated work developed in close partnership with Whylie. Drawing together movement, music, and ritual, it remains among the company's most lasting and widely recognised offerings.

The opening carries added weight following the death of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. The NDTC will present Tribute to Cliff (1974), choreographed by Nettleford. Nearly 50 years after its first showing, the piece returns with fresh resonance as the company honours one of Jamaica's greatest cultural ambassadors.

Showtime is 8:00 pm. The programme also includes David Brown's critically acclaimed Labess (1995), Troy Powell's Unscathed (2015), and Ash (2017) by Renée I. McDonald, revised to feature male dancers for the first time. Patrons will also see an excerpt from Garfield Lemonius's duet Flight (2014).

The evening includes the premiere of Love, Hope, Freedom, a new suite of songs composed and arranged by Musical Director Dr Kathy Brown and performed by the NDTC Singers and Musicians.

"The work is a response to the growing outcry against violence and promotes peace through love, hope, and the recognition of human rights in Jamaica and, by extension, the wider world," said Dr Brown.

Artistic Director Marlon D Simms said the season marks an important chapter for the NDTC.

"We continue to celebrate the legacy that has shaped us, reflect the present, and break new ground for the future. Audiences will see exciting new talent alongside the artists and works they have come to know and love. Every performance is an invitation to celebrate who we are as a people and where we are going as a nation through dance," he said.

Presented under the theme 'Rooted, Grounded, Rising', the 64th Season of Dance honours the artists who built the NDTC and introduces a new generation of performers and creators who continue to expand its artistic vision.

The season runs from Friday, July 17, to Sunday, August 9, 2026, at the Little Theatre. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 5:00 pm.