Freeport, Grand Bahama — Dance Clinic GBI (DCBGI) is back and proud to announce its return of in-person workshops on August 19th - 20th, 2022.

Artists can experience an immersive weekend workshop geared toward dance, music, and cultural exchange.

Formed in 2016 as a means to provide unstinting access to professional training while promoting the dignity of others through movement and culture - this year's event will be led by international performers and Bahamian dance and music professionals.

 The clinic seeks to engage diverse dancers in multiple genres by highlighting styles like ballet, contemporary, jazz, choreography, modern, and Junkanoo throughout the weekend.

 Both days are free and open to the public, where the workshop will consist of several dance classes accompanied by a special a-la-carte vocal/performance development workshop for aspiring Bahamian artists.

Guest artists like former soloists from Dance Theatre of Harlem, Sacramento Ballet, National Dance Company of The Bahamas, and current Lion King dancer Shacura Wade, along with local dance advocate, teacher, and choreographer Colette Parker will impart their knowledge of the art to all participants looking to enhance their technique.

An exciting addition to this year's programming will be a music industry workshop hosted by Bahamian singer-songwriter Jade Moya. Bahamians ages 15 and up seeking to break into the music industry will be able to learn methods of developing artistic style, creative writing, vocal development while understanding how to navigate performing arts colleges and industry experience. Moya has worked with Kristen Chenoweth, Gabriels, and Kanye West while writing and singing for the acclaimed Maverick City Music, Israel Houghton, and One House.

Furthering meaningful cultural exchange, domestically and internationally, this year's workshops will also include visiting students from Atlanta Dance & Music Academy out of Atlanta, Georgia, and students from Nassau, Bahamas. The event will be the first of many cultural exchanges hosted by DCGBI, highlighting the talent, beauty, and culture of The Bahamas.

Founder, Chivvaun Smith, said, "The Bahamas is filled with so much talent, and finding ways to engage our community while adding value to the artistic experience has always been a goal of mine. But unfortunately, performing arts, for a long time, has been a very elitist art form. The idea of DCGBI is to not only break those barriers by ensuring these events remain free for Grand Bahamians but also to celebrate our talent and showcase our island to the artists and students who fly in to participate in our clinics."

The classes will be grouped by age and experience, with dancers ages 9-13 getting started by learning the basics and dancers ages 13 - 23 challenged to grow in artistry and technique.

"This year, The Bahamas Dance Theatre is acting as our host dance studio, and Pelican Bay came on board as our host hotel. We're just really excited to be back in person and to have so many organizations see the value in what we are doing." - Smith said.

The weekend will end with a free event of live performances by new and familiar artists on Saturday, August 20th at 8 pm in the Port Lucaya Marketplace, extending this social and cross-cultural exchange to the broader Grand Bahama community.

DCGBI is a nonprofit funded by public-private partnerships. Partnerships for this year's clinic include the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture, GSO Legal, Grand Bahama Port Authority, AM Transportation, Pizza Hut Freeport, Port Lucaya Marketplace, Bahamas Dance Theatre, and Merport Bistro.

To register for this year's workshop, visit Dance Clinic GBI on Facebook or register via the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dcgbi-weekend-workshop-tickets-381904475567