In this episode (036), I speak to Choreographer, Lecturer, Dance Advocate and Content Creator, Maria Hitchins about the preservation of Jamaican culture.  As a performer since her childhood, Maria is well-suited to discuss this topic, which is very dear to her heart.  Her group, ‘Dancers of Jamaica’, is just one of the many ways that she demonstrates performance advocacy, highlighting the achievements of Jamaican dancers across the world.  The conversation traverses what was, what is, and how we can create a better future for the preservation of one of the most revered cultures in the world.


CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARIA HITCHINS:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladysoundchat/


FOLLOW MARIA’S DANCE ADVOCACY GROUP, ‘DANCERS OF JAMAICA’:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancersofjamaica/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DancersofJamaica/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamaicandancers


BIOGRAPHY:

Maria A. Hitchins is a multifaceted Jamaican who holds a wealth of experience in Media, Tourism, Education, and Dance. She is the founder of 'Dancers of Jamaica', an award winning dance advocacy network that promotes all things dance connected to Jamaicans, at home and abroad. She has been on stage since the age of three, performed with multiple established groups such as the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company, Tony Wilson’s Modern School of Dance, Stella Maris Dance Ensemble, and has toured with Shaggy.


Her performance history is complimented by roles in media as a producer for KFC’s On The Verge TV talent show, Jamaica Travel Channel and is a former production manager and producer at RE TV.


Maria was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal for using dance to demonstrate the relationship between Jamaica's inflation rate and the economy, as part of a Bank Of Jamaica initiative; Last year she also remounted an exhibition titled “Di Good Tingz Dem”, which explored Jamaica’s Dancehall fashion history, as part of the Rex Nettleford Arts Conference.


Miss Hitchins is an adjunct lecturer in Dancehall at the Edna Manley College, where she created the first accredited Dancehall dance courses available in the Caribbean, while pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Cultural Studies, researching the lived experiences of Jamaica’s street dancers. 


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Music for Podcast: Reggae Meets Soul (Outro) - Mario Evon.

Photo in Podcast Artwork by Tiffany Lue-Yen.

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