Christian dance ministry One Body, One God celebrates 10th season of dance with The Decade
AFTER a two-year hiatus Jamaica’s first Christian dance company, One Body, One God (OBOG) Dance Ministry, returns this year with its 10th anniversary season of dance.
Symbolically titled The Decade, the dance show, which will be held on September 30 and October 1 at Philip Sherlock Centre, UWI campus, will feature 11 dance pieces each night.
“We are truly excited to be returning to an in-person show after three years. Our last live dance performance was in 2019. In 2020 we held a virtual show, streaming online via our YouTube channel. With this year being our 10th season of dance — a significant milestone — we are especially ecstatic and looking forward to putting on a spectacular show that represents the past decade,” said Judene Edwards, co-founder and director, OBOG.
One Body, One God Dance Ministry was founded in 2012 by Sherona McAllister, Judene Edwards, and Charissa Clemetson, all dancers who had the vision to bring together talented Christian dancers from different churches across the country to minister through the art form.
“When we started we never anticipated achieving 10 seasons of dance. We were young and passionate and wanted to create something that brought together people with like passion and purpose. To see us celebrating over a decade of existence and putting on a show that represents a decade of ministry through our dance company is beyond a blessing,” shared Edwards.
The founding trio expressed gratitude to all the dancers, choreographers, patrons and everyone who supported them on the journey over the years, noting that without others pouring into them and their belief that this ministry could work, it would not have been possible.
The Decade, Edwards said, will illustrate the company’s journey paralleled to life’s different seasons through vibrant and diverse dance styles, and will feature three repertoire pieces and eight new works.
Guest choreographers for the dance show include Sophia McKain, head of department, dance education, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA); Kai Wiggan, EMCVPA 2022 class valedictorian; and Keenan Fletcher, a founding OBOG company member and professional ballet dancer with The Big Muddy Dance Company in St Louis, Missouri, USA.