{"id":3285,"date":"2021-03-27T19:14:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-27T19:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lauradowrich.com\/?p=3285"},"modified":"2021-08-09T19:26:47","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T19:26:47","slug":"torrance-mohammed-a-life-in-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lauradowrich.com\/torrance-mohammed-a-life-in-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"Torrance Mohammed: A life in dance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
At 90, Torrance Mohammed was vibrant as ever, still working occasionally in the insurance industry and enthusiastically helping with plans to celebrate his long career in the cultural sector. Loop News spoke to the icon about his career a few weeks ago as he vividly recalled his journey in dance.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a child attending St Paul\u2019s Anglican Church in San Fernando, the sounds of drumming and instructors shouting dance moves from the Arawak School of Dance formed part of my soundscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Located upstairs in the then old, wooden, latticed-worked church hall next door, the Arawak dance school was where Torrance Mohammed began his walk through the cultural landscape of Trinidad and Tobago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mohammed was a member of the school before it was an actual school. Rector of St Paul\u2019s, Canon Max E Farquar \u2014 a priest who was a big supporter of culture and incorporated steelband into church services and brought South African singer Miriam Makeba to perform at the church \u2014 invited Beryl McBurnie to teach dance in San Fernando.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Founder of the Little Carib Theatre, McBurnie made weekly trips to South to teach Caribbean dance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was in 1955,\u201d said Mohammed who was one of the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in Siparia, Mohammed spent his formative years from ages five to nine with his maternal grandmother in Princes Town, where he attended Princes Town RC and saw children performing at various events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said at the time East Indian children weren\u2019t very forward when it came to performing in Catholic schools but when the school held its bazaars, he would go and do ballroom dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n