It has been a decade since Choreographer, and Council for Arts, Aesthetics and Identity (CAAI) artistic director – Dave Williams, last produced a full show. Motivated by a growing disaffection with the general products of the local dance community, he is determined to be the change he wants to see, with his 2023 presentation – ‘I Was Walking’, which will be mounted on August 4th and 5th at Queen’s Hall. While it has become quite rare to attend a production that features the work of a single choreographer in Trinidad and Tobago, this is one of the ways that Dave Williams is stepping out of the mould.
For the sake of simplicity, one may call ‘I Was Walking’ a dance show, but Williams is sure to specify that it is a work of physical theatre, which capitalizes on the Caribbeanness and us-ness of the inclination to physicalize and dramatize our everyday expressions, and pulls them into conversation with the aesthetic value of performance always at core.
Inspired by a wide and wild range of stimuli from the Gang Gang Sara folklore, to social and topical issues such as intimate partner abuse, emancipation and reparations, and AI, the production promises to be as compelling as its promotional imagery is.
One of the new pieces is partially choreographed by ChatGPT- the most popular Artificial Intelligence platform of the moment. Another is an act of micro-reparation as it appropriates what Dave calls the ‘Britishest of British’ tunes, the unmistakable beeping of the BBC World Network introduction song, with no intentions of paying any copyright fees that may be due.
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson 
In rehearsal for ‘I Was Walking’ from Choreographer – Dave Williams | Photo credit: Ananias Wilson
The title is inspired by the opening line of Donna Summer’s ‘Thinkin’ Bout My Baby’, and there’s not much more to it than that- until, as art does, the connections start forming themselves. As Dave says, “A lot of things aren’t arbitrary if you don’t allow them to be”. The ‘walking’ signifies the choreographer’s journey on levels that are personal and artistic.
The first half of the show is comprised purely of existing choreography that Dave has remounted reimagined and recast – looking into the past leg of his journey and bringing it into a present and future with a second segment of all new work.
Dave Williams’ 2023 presentation – ‘I Was Walking’ will take place on August 4th – 5th at Queen’s Hall. Showtime is 8PM on both days. Tickets are priced $200 for general admission, and $800 for groups of five and can be purchased at the Queen’s Hall Box Office.
While this production is open to all audiences, as two f-bombs appear in the soundscape of the production, parental discretion is advised. For further information please visit @iwaswalkingtt on Instagram, call 681-8070 and join the conversation #IWasWalking.
The Trinidad and Tobago Performing Arts Network 