Dancer, choreographer, cultural mentor and elder, Tyrone Trotman, has died.
Trotman passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning, the NCF said in a tribute.
According to the NCF, Trotman was widely considered a mentor to many well-known dancers on today’s circuit, having choreographed and trained dancers in several groups. These include:
- Dance Nationale Afrique with Cavil Best.
- Dancin’ Africa and Erdiston Primary School with Jennifer Sealy.
- The former folk group St John Dramatic Society managed by folk advocate Pearson Bellamy, as well as Tyrona with Kevin Carvalho and Alicia Hurley, the NCF’s Cultural Officer for Dance.
Trotman’s early training in modern dance with the Barbados Dance Theatre, under its late founder Mary Stevens, was motivated by his interest in using dance to bring solidarity to working-class communities, the NCF said.
He developed a Pan-African consciousness through his associations with the Yoruba Yard with Baba Elton ‘Elombe’ Mottley, and used dance as a vehicle to cultivate Black pride in marginalised working-class communities and groups.
Through the Division of Youth Affairs’ Youth Development Dance Modules, Trotman introduced dance in Haynesville more than years ago, and the Haynesville Community group is now a powerful force in the performing arts.
His work with Act Now Generation in the late ‘90s also stands out in this regard, as the group went on to win the much sought-after Madam Ifill award for dance at the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA).
Similarly, as one of the principal tutors and choreographers of Dancin’ Africa, he was instrumental in its innumerable gold awards at NIFCA, catapulting Dancin’ Africa into national recognition.
Some of his memorable choreographies with the group are:
- “Mourning Into Dancing” in the early 2000s.
- “Tribute to Spouge” in 2005.
- “Black Soul” in 2003.
- “Ngoma” in 2016.
Trotman was also key in formally introducing liturgical dance into churches as a means of worship. He toured extensively throughout the region and beyond, teaching many aspects of Barbados’ Indigenous dance vocabularies and the use of dance in community activism.
Trotman’s work with the nation’s children and youth is unparalleled, the NCF said, adding that it recognises him as a mentor, educator, and Arts advocate who has performed yeoman service to his country.
The Board of Management and staff of the NCF extend sincere condolences to his family, friends, and the dance community. May his sojourn to, and dance in, the great beyond be a peaceful one.
