Kieron Dwayne Sargeant is a multifaceted artist, choreographer, performer, drummer, dance researcher, and educator hailing from Trinidad and Tobago. His extensive career is rooted in the exploration and promotion of African-Caribbean diasporic traditions. Currently, he holds the position of Assistant Professor of Dance at Skidmore College. The lunch talk with him proved to be an intriguing and informative experience as attendees learned more about his aspirations, current goals and interests.
In the talk Kieron spoke about his life in Trinidad and Tobago, where he was born into a family centered around dance, drumming and music. The first instrument he learned was the drums as drumming was most accessible to him. He later studied at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine where he earned a B.A. in Dance Education. In 2017 he came to the United States to earn his M.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida State University and his M.A. in Community Dance from Ohio University. In his time here and at home Kieron developed an extensive arsenal of abilities such as fashion designing, drumming, and dance. He spent some time speaking about these skills and how they have been infused in parts of his career.
The conversation shifted to his plans for upcoming performances during which he talked at length about his project relating to spiritual inspiration from his grandmother. This show is inspired by her routine prayer and devotion over him and his family every morning at 5:45 for about 15 minutes. His ideas for this show were the embodiment of reverence, peace, purity and protection just as his grandmother and her prayers made him feel. This show will be a partnership with Bucknell and our dancers. Bucknell will be building the costumes while students will be taught the dance for the performance.
After focusing on his current project, Kieron spoke about his recent work on Afro-Caribbean traditions in Trinidad & Tobago. The work produced focused on Limbo dancing and the spiritual aspect that was lost as it became more and more mainstream. Limbo dancing was traditionally done in Trinidad and Tobago during times of death to encourage the soul to go up levels on the ancestral plain. Kieron’s work hoped to inform others of the traditional purposes of Limbo dancing and to acknowledge the spiritual and sacredness around the dance rather than solely focusing on the modernist way of seeing. The original practice has been slowly fading out in Trinidad and Tobago over time. Kieron wants to show the world the seriousness of the ritual so that they understand the implications of it rather than only the game-like nature it is currently associated with. On the topic of dying traditions, attendees of the lunch chat connected deeply about how modern changes are impacting not just Tradition in Trinidad and Tobago but traditions worldwide. The audience especially emphasized those traditions of cultures with decreasing populations and small populations to carry on those traditions. Kieron spoke on the government’s role in influencing how Trinidadian and Tobagian peoples teach youth and others about Limbo and the history behind it as well as the impact of shutting down programs that teach limbo dancing for tourists and youth.
As we are told, in Trinidad and Tobago contemporary dances involve skirts. Skirt dances are a cultural staple and by adding western aspects in this form of movement Kieron was able to create his style of teaching. His experience at past college institutions have aided in helping him to mix his two worlds, Caribbean and Western, in a way that preserves both sides but develops a new kind of world for him to explore.
The end of the lunch talk left looming thoughts about traditions, dance and passion. Attendees were left to ponder how past traditions and sacred rituals are impacted by modern capitalism and cultural diffusion.
-Najwa Waysome