The Professional and Amateur Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PADATT)
Mrs. Ann Culley, a Fellow and Examiner of the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) based in the United KIngdom visited Trinidad in 1997, at the invitation of Mr. Ken Wilson, the purpose of her visit was to conduct workshops for Instructors and Senior Members of Dance Schools and to interest these persons to eventually becoming Professional Instructors by taking the necessary examinations, which her organization was offering to persons in many other countries. Mrs. Culley left textbooks, music and other sources of information and planned other visits to monitor progress.
In 1998, Mrs. Culley conducted Amateur Medal Tests and also a mock professional examination for members who were preparing for the Teacher’s examination for members who were preparing for the Teacher’s Examination. This allowed her the opportunity to assess whether these persons were on stream for the real examination. When Mrs. Culley returned in 1999 she conducted further Amateur Medal Tests for students and three (3) dance instructors were successfully at the Associate level of the ballroom branch thereby becoming Professional Dance Instructors. At subsequent visits from examiners of the IDTA, seven (7) additional Dance Instructors were successful at the Associate level and some were successful at the second or Licentiate level. By the year 2006, Trinidad and Tobago had a total of fourteen (14) IDTA qualified Dance Instructors, including four (4) persons in Tobago.
In 2004, the qualified Instructors in Trinidad and Tobago then saw the need to form an Association to present a unified picture within the Caribbean Area and thus the Professional and Amateur Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PADATT) was conceived. PADATT conducted its first set of Medal Tests as a group in April 2006 when an IDTA Examiner was invited to conduct four hundred and twenty-seven (427) Amateur Medal Tests, several workshops and four (4) Professional Examinations. To date, Trinidad and Tobago has thirty-two (32) Professional Instructors with qualifications ranging from Diploma to Licentiate levela in Ballroom, Latin, Club and Free Style.
National Ballroom DanceSport Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NABDATT)
The National Ballroom Dance Association which was formed to give ballroom dancers of Trinidad and Tobago the avenue to come together and develop the art form to gain recognition with governmental agencies such as the Ministry of Sport and Youth affairs (MYSA) and the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) and in 2011 became members of the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF). The Association has certified tutors from international recognized bodies such as Imperial Society Teachers of Dance (ISTD), International Teachers of Dance (ISTD) and Dance Vision International Dancers (DVIDA).
The National Ballroom Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NBDATT) in conjunction with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs presented our first National DanceSport Championships on November 07, 2009. This event, held at the U.W.I. Sports and Physical Education Centre, featured competitions for junior and senior competitors which included several forms of ballroom dances as well as line dancing for the younger competitors.
In 2016, The Association worked with the Police Youth Club of Trinidad and Tobago to have their members learn to dance and have a competition which was very successful and in 2019, the Association also worked with youths from TTOC’s future representatives in various sporting disciplines along with participating in TTOC’s Training programs providing the body that dance has the ability youths in having or enhancing their abilities towards the particular sporting discipline and also very important having dance recognize not just as a sport but a serious sporting discipline like any other as the WDSF works towards getting dance into the International Olympic Games.
In 2018, the National Ballroom Dance Assoc. Executive made a decision to have a slight name change by adding the word “Sport” to the Association’s name as this is the mandate of the Executive and by extension the general membership to have a contingent of dancers representing our country at international dance competitions as we are being invited to several every year. In said year, a new logo was designed and approved by the executive and members.
The National Council of Indian Culture
Divali, the Festival of Lights, has grown in national and cultural significance over the past twenty-five years, owing much to the unwavering dedication of the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC). Through sustained efforts to preserve and promote Indian culture in Trinidad and Tobago, the NCIC has helped elevate Divali beyond a religious observance into a nationally celebrated cultural event. This vision ultimately contributed to the establishment of the Divali Nagar—a landmark space for cultural expression, education, and celebration. In the lead-up to Divali, a vibrant season of activities now provides a platform for both local and international artists to showcase their talents, reinforcing the festival’s enduring importance within the national cultural landscape.
The origins of this transformative initiative can be traced to February 1986, shortly after Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival celebrations. A pivotal meeting was convened at Amral’s Travel Service in Barataria by Mr. Hans Hanoomansingh, then President of the NCIC. For years, this location had served as a gathering point for council members committed to advancing the organisation’s mandate of promoting Indian culture within the broader national and diaspora context.
On that day, however, there was a heightened sense of anticipation. The NCIC leadership had invited key cultural stakeholders—individuals who had long been at the forefront of Indian cultural advocacy—to witness the unveiling of a visionary master plan aimed at uniting the Indian diaspora in a coordinated effort to elevate Indian cultural expression in Trinidad and Tobago. The moment echoed a historic gathering over two decades earlier, in July 1964, when pioneers Bisram Gopie and Narsaloo Raamaya convened cultural activists at Gandhi-Tagore College in San Fernando to announce the formation of what would become the NCIC.
At the 1986 meeting, attendees listened as Mr. Hanoomansingh outlined a bold vision for a national—and potentially international—platform centred on Divali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Although Divali had been celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago since the period of East Indian indentureship and was declared a national holiday in 1966, its cultural prominence had not yet fully reflected the scale of its significance within the country’s population. Drawing from his international experience, Mr. Hanoomansingh recalled a moment during a U.S. State Department seminar on international management, where a presentation on “The African Diaspora in the Caribbean” prompted him to question the absence of recognition of the Indian presence in the region. His inquiry underscored a larger need for visibility and cultural affirmation—one that would help shape the future direction of NCIC’s work and the eventual creation of Divali Nagar.
Jayden Phillip is a multidisciplinary creative and entrepreneur recognised for his leadership in youth arts and his contributions to digital innovation within Caribbean creative sectors. His work is grounded in practice-informed digital communications research, bridging creative expression with strategic insight.
With over four years of experience, Mr Phillip has supported cultural, high-impact, and youth-focused organisations across Trinidad and Tobago and the wider region. He specialises in social media strategy, digital storytelling, and campaign development, with a proven track record of delivering measurable impact across multi-stakeholder environments, including literary festivals, youth programmes, and international development initiatives.
His client portfolio includes The 2 Cents Movement, Bocas Lit Fest, Pan-American Development Fund – Borders of Hope, Outright Concepts Ltd, National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and King’s Trust International. Notably, he co-launched The 2 Cents Movement’s TikTok presence, achieving over 3,800 followers, 67,000 likes, and more than 500,000 views within six months, contributing to a combined cross-platform reach exceeding 800,000 views. He also launched and managed the TikTok channel for the First Citizens National Poetry Slam, reaching over 1.4 million accounts within five months.
Mr Phillip has led social media strategy and analytics reporting for regional campaigns such as Borders of Hope, produced short-form video content and visual assets for international-facing brands, and co-developed brand strategies within agency environments. His work with the National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago includes co-designing the organisation’s website and serving as its primary administrator, supporting digital infrastructure, brand communication, and reputation management. He has also contributed to campaign ideation and design for King’s Trust International’s Career Compass initiative.
Elected by unanimous support as an Associate Member of the National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr Phillip serves in an advisory capacity, supporting the Association’s reputation management, digital systems, and strategic youth engagement, ensuring continued relevance and responsiveness to emerging generations.
Scorz.live by Phynyx Pro Consultants Company
Scorz is a modern competition scoring and judging platform designed to support fair, transparent, and real-time evaluation processes across live events. Built to streamline adjudication, the system enables judges to submit scores digitally through secure, independent interfaces while results are automatically calculated and displayed in real time—eliminating manual tabulation and reducing the risk of human error.
With a strong focus on integrity, transparency, and accuracy, Scorz ensures that each judge operates independently within a structured scoring framework, helping organizers maintain consistency and credibility throughout the adjudication process. The platform also supports live result tracking, giving organizers and stakeholders immediate insight into scoring outcomes as performances unfold.
For SPARK 2026, Scorz plays a critical role in safeguarding the fairness of the adjudication process by providing its dedicated judging platform. This ensures that all scoring is conducted in a controlled, professional, and tamper-resistant environment, reinforcing confidence in the results and upholding the highest standards of competitive integrity.
Through this partnership, Scorz contributes not only technology, but also trust—helping SPARK 2026 deliver a judging process that is transparent, efficient, and aligned with international best practices in competition management.
T&T Business Etiquette & Protocol Specialists Limited (TTBEPS)
T&T Business Etiquette & Protocol Specialists Limited (TTBEPS) is a leading professional training institution in Trinidad and Tobago, dedicated to elevating standards across the events, hospitality, and corporate sectors. Established in 2008, the organization delivers industry-focused programmes in event management, protocol, etiquette, and customer service—equipping students with practical skills, recognized certification, and the confidence required to excel in real-world environments.
With a faculty bringing decades of combined experience and a strong emphasis on hands-on, workplace-ready training, TTBEPS has built a reputation for developing competent, professional talent ready to meet the demands of modern service industries. Their programmes bridge the gap between education and employment, ensuring graduates are not only qualified, but prepared to perform at a high standard from day one.
As a valued supporter of SPARK 2026, TTBEPS continues to demonstrate its commitment to national development and experiential learning by facilitating student volunteer participation in the execution of the competition’s Final Round. Through this partnership, their students gain invaluable live-event experience while contributing to the successful delivery of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s premier youth dance initiatives—reinforcing TTBEPS’ mission of shaping professionals through both training and practice.
Mark de Moment
Mark De Moment Limited has put creativity to work for our clients in Events, Entertainment and Education.
Our team is led by Dr. Albertha Joseph-Alexander and Prior Joseph, professionals with over forty-five (45) years of combined experience in performance, events, and theatre.
The founder, Albertha Joseph-Alexander, is presently producing a feature-length documentary. She was an educator and former board member of the youth-driven, faith-based NGO, IS/IVCF. She has a Doctorate from The University of the West Indies in Plant Science.
Prior Joseph has a BA in Theatre Arts, a Post-graduate Diploma in Education, and a Professional Certificate in Events Management. He coordinates Mark De Moment’s wide range of services and is presently the Production Director at his church, a Head of Department (Secondary), a Practitioner, and a part-time Lecturer.
Nadia Joseph is a member of the board of directors and has a BA in Communication Studies with Literatures in English from The University of the West Indies.
Kizzy Bancroft is our Board Secretary and has a BSc. in Tourism Management from The University of the West Indies.
Since 2005, the company has grown to include the services of an on-call team of professionals in audio-visual services, professional ushering, event planning and execution, education, creative arts and catering, etc. We are dedicated to sealing your important moment in time by offering quality services tailored to meet your needs.
Mark De Moment Limited consists of a core management team along with an on-call team of professionals.