The National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDA) is inviting dancers across Trinidad and Tobago to experience an immersive three-hour masterclass in Trinidad with internationally recognised choreographer and Ashanti’s creative director Brice D. Vick.
Set for Friday, May 15, from 7 pm to 10 pm at Xtreme Dance Academy HQ, the session forms part of a broader effort by the NDA to expose local dancers to international industry standards while creating meaningful opportunities for growth, connection and confidence-building within the dance fraternity.
Vick, whose credits include work with Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Remy Ma and 50 Cent, will be in Trinidad as part of the R&B Brunch Festival featuring Ja Rule, Ashanti and Valiant on Saturday, May 16, 2026. While in the country, the internationally recognised movement director has partnered with the National Dance Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NDA) and Trinidad and Tobago-born dancer through the direct efforts of choreographer Omari Anderson to facilitate an immersive three-hour workshop for the local dance community.
The workshop takes place on Friday, May 15, from 7 pm to 10 pm at Xtreme Dance Academy HQ and is open to participants across all dance levels and disciplines.
For the NDA, the collaboration represents another deliberate step in its continued efforts to create meaningful stages, access points and developmental spaces for dancers throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
The initiative comes on the heels of several major activities led or supported by the Association during its ongoing 45th anniversary year, including the reinstatement of the National Limbo Competition, the successful execution of SPARK – The Schools Festival of Dance, and the Association’s recent contribution to globally streamed cultural content during internet personality IShowSpeed’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago.
While SPARK was simultaneously in progress, the NDA facilitated limbo performers and cultural representatives as part of IShowSpeed’s livestream experience of Trinidad and Tobago, which amassed more than 53 million views globally. The segment featured Kimmy Stoute-Robinson, Makeba Gabriel and the Republic Bank Soul Oasis Cultural Ambassadors, alongside benders Kendra Thomas and Keshawn Ryan, as the streamer experienced the national dance of Trinidad and Tobago firsthand, even attempting to clear a fire barre.
Despite Vick’s high-profile credentials, he says the atmosphere of the workshop is intentionally grounded, welcoming and centred on experience rather than intimidation. “I will love for them to be relaxed and know that I’m coming from a humble place and I really want them to enjoy the experience,” Vick said during planning discussions with the Association. “We all just need to enjoy the experience. Everybody put down the egos, put down the high expectations. This is a life experience. It’s a seed. Movement is a part of life and the confidence and that swag, that’s what I want to teach. It’s all about building confidence in dance.”
NDA President, Alette Liz Williams, said that philosophy aligns strongly with its own mission to build access, confidence and capacity within the local dance sector, particularly at a time when dancers are increasingly seeking international exposure and expanded movement vocabulary across genres.
The session is open to all dance levels and disciplines, with organisers expecting participation from dancers across ballet, contemporary, hip hop, folk and other movement traditions. Rather than a high-pressure audition environment, the workshop is being positioned as an educational and energising space for dancers to learn directly from professionals actively working in the international entertainment industry.
Movement is a part of life and confidence and that swag, that’s what I want to teach.
Brice D. Vick
The Brice D. Vick masterclass is also being viewed as part of the NDA’s broader push toward capacity building for dancers locally, particularly through collaborations with nationals who have successfully built international careers.
The workshop also arrives through the efforts of Trinidad and Tobago-born dancer, choreographer and stunt performer Omari Anderson, more popularly known as MarZ Zero Gravity, who toured globally with Machel Montano for 12 years and now continues to work internationally from Canada. He said the workshop forms part of a wider commitment to giving back to the country that helped shape his journey.
“People have high expectations for us to pour back into the glass,” Anderson said during planning discussions for the initiative. “I understand that because obviously it’s Trinidad that made me and put me where I am today. This opportunity is literally a manifestation of that.”
He added that he hopes this engagement becomes the beginning of larger capacity-building initiatives between himself and international dance professionals and the NDA in the future.
The session itself is intentionally designed to feel welcoming rather than intimidating, with Vick stressing that the focus is on learning, confidence-building and exposure, not competition.
“I will love for them to be relaxed and know that I’m coming from a humble place and I really want them to enjoy the experience,” Vick said. “We all just need to enjoy the experience. Everybody put down the egos, put down the high expectations. This is a life experience. It’s a seed. Movement is a part of life and confidence and that swag, that’s what I want to teach.”
Participants can expect a session that includes an artist mindset lecture, technique and performance training, a combination choreography session, industry entrepreneurship and branding discussions, as well as networking and Q&A opportunities. Additional surprises are also expected throughout the evening.
Vick will additionally be joined for portions of the workshop by two of Ashanti’s touring female dancers.
NDA president Alette Liz Williams said the Association remains committed to ensuring that local dancers are given opportunities to access international-standard experiences despite ongoing challenges faced by volunteer-led cultural organisations.
“We want people to learn, experience, enjoy, have proximity and gain knowledge,” Williams said. “We want to eliminate any thoughts of exclusivity.”
The workshop forms part of the NDA’s 45th anniversary celebrations, which conclude on September 6, 2026 with the National Dance Gala at the National Academy for the Performing Arts.
Admission categories include specially facilitated rates of $50 TTD for SPARK finalists, $80 TTD students of secondary and tertiary institutions including the University of Trinidad and Tobago and the University of the West Indies – Department of Creative and Festival Arts (UWI-DCFA) with valid identification, alongside general admission for individuals of $120 TTD.
To RSVP and for further updates, visit ndatt.org and follow the NDA on Facebook and Instagram @nationaldanceassociationtt.
