International stars and some of the Caribbean’s premier dancers come together for three performances at Frank Collymore Hall

For two nights next week, the stage of Frank Collymore Hall will become a meeting place for some of the world’s finest dancers and some of the Caribbean’s most exciting talent as Amalgamation: An Evening of Dance comes to Barbados.

Presented by the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) in collaboration with Jamaica’s Plié for the Arts, Amalgamation brings together performers from Complexions Contemporary Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Alonzo King LINES Ballet, alongside the Plié Caribbean Collective, an ensemble featuring premier dancers drawn from across the region.

The production takes place on Tuesday, August 25 at 7 p.m., followed by two performances on Wednesday, August 26 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Frank Collymore Hall.

For Plié for the Arts Artistic Director Marisa Benain, the production is about far more than assembling celebrated international names on one stage. Amalgamation is deliberately designed to place Caribbean dancers in that company as equals while giving regional audiences access to performances they might otherwise have to travel internationally to experience.

It is a philosophy at the heart of the Plié Caribbean Collective, which brings dancers from across the region together to perform work by internationally recognised choreographers.

Benain said young Caribbean dancers should be able to look at the stage and see what is possible for them.

The production, she explained, gives regional performers the opportunity to work and perform alongside some of the best dancers in the world, while demonstrating that Caribbean talent belongs in that company.

“On Amalgamation there is a dance for everyone. It is highly unlikely that anyone will come to the show and not leave with a favourite,” Benain said.

Among the major attractions will be the first Barbados appearance of the full Complexions Contemporary Ballet company.

Founded in 1994 by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, Complexions was built around the idea that dance could draw fearlessly from different methods, styles and cultures rather than being restricted by a single tradition. Over three decades, the company has performed across five continents and more than 20 countries.

Barbadian audiences will see some of the acclaimed work for which the company has become known, including Love Rocks, choreographed to the music of Lenny Kravitz, as well as the celebrated Ave Maria.

American Ballet Theatre will also be represented, including Carlos Gonzalez, who joined the company’s corps de ballet in 2017 and was promoted to Soloist in 2024. His repertoire has included roles in Don Quixote, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, among numerous other productions.

Carlos Gonzales Soloist with American Ballet Theatre

From Alonzo King LINES Ballet comes Adji Cissoko, who was named the company’s Associate Artistic Director in January 2026. The Munich-born dancer has performed internationally, taught masterclasses around the world and has also developed her own work as a choreographer.

LINES Ballet dancer Shuaib Elhassan also brings an extensive background to the production. Trained at The Ailey School in New York on full scholarship, Elhassan has performed with several companies and has been a member of LINES Ballet since 2014.

But Amalgamation is intentionally not structured as a showcase in which the visiting international dancers are the main attraction and Caribbean performers simply supplement the programme.

Benain has been emphatic that the dancers selected for the Caribbean Collective are being placed on the same stage because their standard warrants it. Auditions were held around the region to identify dancers who could take on major choreographic works, with Barbadian performers among those selected.

Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan from Alonso King Lines Ballet

One of the works audiences can expect from the Caribbean dancers is Bolero, a piece which has been performed internationally and which Benain said has now been placed “in Caribbean bodies”, giving regional performers the chance to interpret internationally recognised repertoire through their own artistry.

Amalgamation also carries a developmental component.

Alongside the public performances, visiting artists will engage with Barbadian dancers through masterclasses, giving local practitioners direct access to internationally experienced performers. There will also be an opportunity for choreographers to engage in discussion around their craft.

For Benain, that exchange is an essential part of the concept. Artists invited to participate in Amalgamation are expected not only to perform, but also to share their knowledge with the communities that host them.

It is part of Plié for the Arts’ wider commitment to development as the organisation celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

The organisation began staging international galas in Jamaica in 2016 and has since sought to broaden Amalgamation into a Caribbean destination event, encouraging audiences to travel within the region while creating new opportunities for Caribbean dancer.

Benain publicly thanked the Board of the National Cultural Foundation, while paying special tribute to NCF Chief Executive Officer Carol Roberts, whom she described as “a visionary” and credited as one of the driving forces behind bringing a production of this scale to Barbados.

Now, with three performances scheduled over two days, Barbadian audiences will have the opportunity to experience the result: classical technique, contemporary movement, internationally acclaimed repertoire and Caribbean artistry sharing one stage.

Amalgamation: An Evening of Dance takes place at Frank Collymore Hall on Tuesday, August 25 at 7 p.m., with tickets priced at $100. On Wednesday, August 26, the 3 p.m. matinee is $60, while the 8 p.m. performance is $100.

Tickets are available online at ticketnation.bb and from participating island-wide box offices, including CS Pharmacy, Nation Publishing, Starcom Network and A&B Music Supplies. (PR)