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Charlotte Amalie
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Music, Dancing Highlight Stadium Festivities

April 22, 2009 — The pulsating sounds of Milo's Kings helped set the mood Wednesday night for a cultural celebration at Lionel Roberts Stadium topped off by quadrille dances, majorette routines and familiar performances by a few of the island's traditional Carnival troupes.
With the girls dressed in bright yellow and the boys sporting madras belts, the Lockhart Elementary School quadrille dancers brought the crowd to its feet with their lively presentation. The 14 couples didn't miss a step as they spun around the stage, dancing in tune with the quadrille, and later calypso-infused, music. The group is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and will continue to keep the local culture alive with performances throughout the territory, organizers said.
V.I. pride was evident in the costumes of the Sebastien Majorettes, who marched on stage clad in gold, white and blue uniforms symbolizing the sun, sand and clear blue waters of the territory. The costume was designed by the group's founder more than three decades ago, said Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone. The majorettes' first routine was set to the "Virgin Islands March."
Wednesday's Carnival event also featured a maypole braiding by the Ulla F. Muller Panthers and a performance by the St. Thomas Majorettes, whose members were dressed this year in "Lion King" costumes.
"We try to mix it up every year with a new routine," said Jiffany Richards, trainer for the junior majorettes. The girls have been practicing their moves since January and were anxious to get on stage and show off what they could do, she said.
As usual, the night finished with performances by the Tropical Masquerades Clowns and the Traditional Indians. Due to a late start, the list of participants on the program this year was smaller than expected, but the Cultural Night Committee is already planning to make next year's event bigger and better, said committee member Desha Powell.
"It's definitely not as big as we would have liked it to be, but we still had a lot of the schools, and our young people come out to participate," she said. "That's always a good sign. It's good that this event especially holds their interest, because it teaches them to remember and celebrate their culture."
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