The NDA’s National Limbo Competition 2026

The National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDA or Association) successfully staged the National Limbo Competition 2026 on Saturday 24 January 2026, formally reinstating the national event after an 18-year hiatus. The competition formed part of the Association’s 45th anniversary year. It was held in collaboration with the National Carnival Commission (NCC), with endorsement from the Ministry of Culture and Community Development (MCCD). The competition was also supported by The Tobago House of Assembly (THA), specifically The Multicultural Unit in the Division of Education, Research and Technology, and by students of the Dance in School Programme (from the Multicultural Unit).

The event celebrated limbo as both a competitive performance discipline and a cultural practice rooted in ritual, innovation, and intergenerational legacy, with strong representation from Trinidad and Tobago, including Tobago.

This year’s winners were:

1st – North West Laventille Cultural Movement – Julia Edwards Challenge Trophy and $50,000
2nd – Tobago Burn – $20,000
3rd – Twin Inc – $10,000

Special Prizes:

King of Limbo – Shaquille Mitchell – Vernon Hope Challenge Trophy & $5,000
Queen of Limbo – Quisha Christopher Davis – Nydia “Fire Queen” Byron Challenge Trophy & $5,000
Most Creative Presentation – Soul Oasis Cultural Ambassadors (S.O.C.A.) – $5,000
Most Original Human Barre – North West Laventille Cultural Movement – $2,000
⁠⁠Best Costume – North West Laventille Cultural Movement – $5,000

Competition Overview

Venue: John Cupid Carnival Village, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain
Date & Time: Saturday 24 January 2026, 7.00 p.m.
Total Prize Value: TT$100,000 in cash prizes

Winners of the NDA’s 2026 National Limbo Competition

Overall Placings

1st Place: North West Laventille Cultural Movement
Julia Edwards Challenge Trophy and TT$50,000
Notably, North West Laventille also held the championship title at the last national limbo competition in 2008, making their 2026 victory a successful retention of the champion position following the competition’s reinstatement.
2nd Place: Tobago Burn
TT$20,000 & a trophy
3rd Place: Twin Inc
TT$10,000 & a trophy

Special Awards and Trophy Significance

King of Limbo: Shaquille Mitchell
Vernon Hope Challenge Trophy and TT$5,000
The Vernon Hope Challenge Trophy honours Vernon Hope, a respected cultural practitioner and limbo advocate whose contribution to the development, mentoring, and sustained visibility of limbo at the community and national levels helped shape competitive standards within the art form. He used to dance with Julia Edwards and learned from her. Vernon Hope is still with us and we wanted to honour him while he is alive.
Queen of Limbo: Quisha Christopher Davis
Nydia “Fire Queen” Byron Challenge Trophy and TT$5,000
The trophy is named in honour of Nydia Byron, an internationally recognised limbo dancer trained under Julia Edwards. Byron was known for advancing fire-based limbo performance and for her international appearances, including with the Universoul Circus. Her work bridged technical excellence, cultural storytelling, and global representation of Trinidad and Tobago’s dance heritage.

(These trophies are not symbolic only; they reflect the NDA’s constitutional role in honouring national cultural contributors.)

Most Creative Presentation: Soul Oasis Cultural Ambassadors (S.O.C.A.)
TT$5,000 & a trophy
Most Original Human Barre: North West Laventille Cultural Movement
TT$2,000 & a trophy
Best Costume: North West Laventille Cultural Movement
TT$5,000 & a trophy

Judging and Criteria

2026 National Limbo Judges

Kimmy Stoute-Robinson – Head Judge and Former Limbo Queen (before this year’s winner)
Emelda Lynch-Griffith – former NDA President
Delton Frank
Sherma Burke
Raymond Ross

Performances were assessed by a panel of senior cultural practitioners using a published rubric examining:

Technical skill
Control and execution
Rhythm and musicality
Artistic presentation
Difficulty and creativity

Additional (bonus) points were awarded for controlled use of fire and approved theatrical elements, in keeping with established competition guidelines.

Cultural Context

The competition paid tribute to Julia Edwards, credited with popularising limbo internationally and pioneering both the flaming limbo bar and the human barre. The reinstatement of the National Limbo Competition forms part of the NDA’s wider mandate to preserve, professionalise, and transmit national dance forms, while creating pathways for youth development and community-based cultural expression.

National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDA)

The National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago is a body corporate established by Act of Parliament No. 28 of 1997.
The Act legally recognises the NDA as the national entity responsible for establishing, promoting, and advancing dance culture across Trinidad and Tobago, covering traditional, contemporary, folk, and emerging forms.
Its statutory functions include:
- Organising national competitions and festivals
- Advancing dance education and participation
- Preserving indigenous and Caribbean dance forms
- Supporting professional standards, research, and training
- Providing scholarships and development opportunities
The NDA needs donations and sponsorship to execute its mandate. The executive committee is voluntary and contributes yeoman’s work to the continuity of the Association for the benefit of dancers.

What’s Next!

SPARK – The Schools Festival of Dance is the NDA’s flagship national youth programme, established in 2009. It is endorsed by the Ministry of Education, supported by the Multicultural Unit in the Division of Education, Research and Technology in the Tobago House of Assembly. Visit ndatt.org/spark for more information.
SPARK directly supports the Association’s statutory obligation to:
- Advance dance education
- Create structured development pathways
- Encourage youth participation nationwide
The festival engages primary and secondary school students across Trinidad and Tobago, including Tobago, through:
- Online entry submissions deadline – March 13, 2026 at 11.59 pm
- Regional semi-finals
  – Thursday 19 March, Mason Hall, Tobago
  – Tuesday 24 March Queen’s Hall
  – Wednesday 25 March at the Naparima Bowl
- A national finale – Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA)
SPARK was originally known as the Secondary Schools Dance Festival and was expanded to include primary schools, reflecting the NDA’s long-term cultural sustainability strategy.
National Dance Gala – September 26 at the National Academy for the Performing Arts.
Workshops and community events