2023
Healthy Foods, Healthy Moves
This animated dance and health video is a collaboration between COCO and Sandra Vivas Art of Dominica to bring awareness to children’s wellbeing through animated dance.
Dance Production Manual
As part of the 2019 COCO in the Community effort, COCO developed and presented a brief teaching aid for all Caribbean Theatre Arts teachers to assist them in their delivery of the production side of the arts. This manual is an expansion of that presentation on dance production from which educators and young professionals in the business can benefit.
This project was made possible through CIIF’s Community of Practice.
2022
Workshops
Nicole Wesley holds training workshops for secondary school teachers at Signal Hill Secondary School and Preysal Secondary School in September, 2022 under the COCO in the Community programme, and in conjunction with the Secondary Schools Dance Educators Association of Trinidad and Tobago
Launch of COCO Online Expansion
Sonja Dumas discusses the future of Contemporary Caribbean Dance with Malene Joseph, Neila Ebanks and John Hunte for the online launch of COCO Dance Festival 2022.
Dance in Grenada
Cecilia Griffith, Artistic Director of Conception Dance Theatre in Grenada, conducts a class in the village of Tivoli in the northeast part of the island.
The COCO Journey
The COCO Journey" is a short retrospective documentary that serves to chronicle a few of the challenges and triumphs of the Contemporary Choreographers' Collective's 14-going-on-15-year effort to develop dance in the Caribbean region. Many lessons can be learnt.
Mindfulness for Dancers
COCO is proud to partner with One Dance UK to offer an online discussion about mindfulness for World Mental Health Day. Featuring perspectives from mindfulness researchers and psychologists Dr Lucie Clements and Dr Moitree Banerjee, mindfulness coach Brenda Shankey, and triple threat artist and Accredited Mindfulness teacher Holly Spencer, the panel will explore the uses, possible benefits, and approaches to mindfulness.
2021
Accent on Self-Care
Our featured choreographer for COCO in the Community 2021 is Makayla Peterson, who's also our 2021 guest writer. Her work, "Rebirth" explores self-reflection and discovery.
2020
In Pandem:
The piece explores the tense, dynamic, and isolating environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic
COCO is proud to continue its community efforts by hosting these talented junior dancers from the Barbados Dance Project dancing about something that's highly topical. Choreographed by Shea Best, the piece explores the tense, dynamic, and isolating environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019
2019
COCO IN TOCO:
Workshops with Dave WIlliams
COCO's Dave Williams conducted a workshop in creativity focussing on creating Carnival imagery at the Toco Community Centre. He presented the Centre with a complimentary copy of The COCO Book of Dance.
The classroom teachers learned strategies for integrating dance within their current curriculum while students engaged in creative movement inspired by environmental topics related to Trinidad.
2017
Hollywood actor and social activist Malik Yoba joined by clinical psychologist Dr Peter Weller and celebrated Trinidadian-British writer and performer Dr Anthony Joseph the Conversation as a precursor to international Men’s Day (19 November) with its focus on men and boy's health and wellbeing.
Aimed at men who are community activists or mentors doing outreach with men and boys, as well as fathers who are facing challenges in playing a meaningful role in their children’s lives,
it will feature poetry, movement and film as a teaching tools and as part of the conversation.
Fortify:
A Conversation with Consequences
2017
CIMTEYA!:
Creation in Motion Touring Ensemble for Young Audiences
Texas State University’s CIMTEYA under the leadership of Kaysie Brown, Misti Galvan and Nicole Wesley exposed Trinidadian teachers and children to arts integration, specifically incorporating dance and creative movement into the curriculum, planting the seeds of awareness, appreciation and excitement for learning and for the art of dance.
The classroom teachers learned strategies for integrating dance within their current curriculum while students engaged in creative movement inspired by environmental topics related to Trinidad.
CIM TEYA! dancers also performed in the COCO Dance Festival providing
the students and teachers with the opportunity to witness and understand
the artistry of dance in a new way as a result of experiencing and creating
the dance themselves.
2015
Guayaguayare:
Workshops with Trent Williams Jr.
With support from the U.S. Embassy Trinidad and Tobago and BG Trinidad and Tobago Limited, US choreographer Trent Williams conducted outreach classes at the Guayaguayare Secondary School.
Mr. Williams also conducted workshops at La Seiva Primary School – a collaboration among COCO, the Rotary Club of Maraval and the school.
2013-2018
Best Village:
COCO supporting Best Village
The partnership with the Best Village programme started in 2013, when COCO highlighted certain acts from the Best Village competition in the festival, thereby expanding the opportunities for young people to take the stage. Captured here is the most recent Best Village participation in COCO - the junior company of leading Best Village group, the Malick Folk Performers, dancing the opening number at the COCO Dance Off in 2018!
2011-2013
The Learning Centre
Abby Charles and some of her students at the Rotary Club-sponsored Learning Centre. Ms. Charles conducted movement classes for the children. This was their group photo after their final presentation.
COCO volunteer Abby Charles and some of her students at the Rotary Club-sponsored Learning Centre. Abby conducted movement classes for the children in 2013. This was their group photo after their final presentation.