Jamaica’s Spirit Comes Alive Through Dance in South Africa
By Anisha Pemjee
28 September 2026
Jamaica’s 64th anniversary of independence was celebrated in South Africa with an exhilarating performance by L’ACADCO: A United Caribbean Dance Force, bringing the rhythm, movement and cultural spirit of Jamaica to the University of Johannesburg.
Led by renowned choreographer Dr L’Antoinette Stines, the Jamaican dance company presented its production 1LUV in Johannesburg after performing at the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience in Durban.
The performance was a vibrant celebration of Jamaican culture, combining powerful movement, rhythm and storytelling. The dancers commanded the stage with energy and precision, creating an experience that was both visually striking and deeply rooted in Jamaica’s cultural traditions.
The performance reflected the spirit of 1LUV, exploring Black creativity, spirituality and identity through contemporary Caribbean dance.
Welcoming guests, High Commissioner of Jamaica to South Africa Joan Thomas Edwards spoke of the significance of bringing Jamaican culture to South Africa and of the enduring connections between Jamaica, Africa and the Caribbean. She noted that while Jamaica and South Africa established formal diplomatic relations in 1994, the relationship between their peoples has much deeper roots. Jamaica’s support for the struggle against apartheid and South Africa’s journey to democracy remain important parts of that shared history.
The High Commissioner also reflected on the powerful African consciousness found within Jamaican culture. The Atlantic Ocean separates Jamaica from Africa geographically, but has never erased the cultural and ancestral connections between them. Those connections can be heard in Jamaican music, seen in its traditions and felt in the spirituality that continues to influence Jamaican identity.
She referred to Peter Tosh’s Mama Africa, which expresses the deep Jamaican consciousness of Africa as an ancestral home and an essential part of identity. The reference was particularly fitting during a performance that drew so strongly on African and Caribbean cultural influences. Tosh, alongside Bob Marley and other Jamaican musicians, helped carry Jamaica’s cultural voice to audiences around the world.
Bob Marley’s music, in particular, gave international audiences an enduring introduction to Jamaica’s reggae tradition and its themes of love, unity, freedom and human dignity. His influence remains an important part of Jamaica’s global cultural presence.
L’ACADCO continued that cultural journey through dance.
Rather than relying on words, the dancers communicated through movement, rhythm and physical expression. Their performance brought together traditional influences and contemporary choreography, creating a production that was unmistakably Caribbean while speaking to a modern audience. For those watching, the performance offered an opportunity to experience an important part of Jamaican culture at close range — its rhythm, its storytelling and its distinctive artistic energy.
The High Commissioner described culture as an important means of preserving the experiences of previous generations while giving them new meaning for those who follow. That was evident in the performance. The dancers carried stories of heritage onto the stage while presenting them through a contemporary artistic form.
The evening also reflected the growing people-to-people relationship between Jamaica and South Africa. The High Commissioner referred to the recent official visit to Jamaica by South Africa’s Deputy Minister Alvin Botes, who attended the country’s Independence Day celebrations and experienced Jamaica’s culture firsthand. Such exchanges add a human dimension to the formal relationship between the two countries.
But at the University of Johannesburg, the strongest connection was made through the performance itself, when the music began, the dancers moved and the rhythms filled the auditorium. L’ACADCO brought the colour, energy and spirit of Jamaica to Johannesburg in a performance that left a lasting impression.
As Jamaica celebrates 64 years of independence, the evening was a fitting celebration of a culture that has travelled far beyond its shores while retaining a strong sense of where it comes from.
The final standing ovation was an appreciation for an exceptional performance and a beautiful embrace of Jamaica.