Darielle Williams twirled upside down at least seven feet above the audience, held by two cables attached to each leg, hands moving and head bopping to the beat of Get Ur Freak On. She was not only a backup dancer for Missy Elliott, but also representing TT at a high level – in both senses.
Williams rocked the stage as an aerialist at the 36th annual MTV Video Music Awards on August 26 in New Jersey as Missy Elliott, the 2019 Video Vanguard Award winner, sang a medley of her hits Throw it Back, The Rain, Hot Boyz, Get Ur Freak On, Work It, Pass that Dutch and Lose Control.
An aerialist is an acrobat who performs high above the ground on tightropes or trapezes.
Williams's most recent performance at home was in a show held in June at Sound Forge, a multipurpose event space on Mucurapo Road, Port of Spain. 
"I last danced in TT at Queen's Hall with the Caribbean School of Dance.
"The Sound Forge show was fun. The dancing was choreographed by Bridgette Wilson and there were fire devils and moko jumbies, spoken word, a fashion show, with performances by Kes and Protoje."
A former student of Mucurapo Girls' RC, St Francois Girls' College and St Joseph's Convent, Port of Spain, Williams, 34, grew up in St James.
Communicating by voicenotes, Williams told Newsday, "I always had a passion for dance."
She danced at school and began taking classes at 16 at the Caribbean School of Dance.
"I started with modern dance and later added ballet, jazz and tap dance." Before that, she was a swimmer and gymnast. But even then, she preferred forms of gymnastics which included dance.

She was supported wholeheartedly by her parents, Judith Theodore and David Williams.
"My mother is an actress. She played Sandra on the series Westwood Park.
"They both always saw me having a career in the performing arts. They just wanted their children to be successful at whatever we decided to do. "But I was always the performer in the family."
After school, Williams moved on to Florida International University, where she did a degree majoring in dance with a minor in business administration. The four-year programme focused on Latin American and Caribbean dance/ choreography.
"It was exactly what I saw myself doing in the future. I learned a lot on the history of dance and kinesiology, which is the study of human or non-human body movement."
Her studies also included in-depth exploration of cultural dances, critiques, choreography, lighting and the intricacies of staging a show. She wrote a thesis on J'Ouvert.
Then her life took what she described as a slight detour – which became her passion.
"I continued dancing for one of my FIU professors in his Afro- fusion company called Brazz Dance Theatre."
She was also introduced to circus arts through a company called Animate Objects Physical Theatre, and learnt aerial and fire dancing.
"I also learnt stilt-walking and acrobatic stilt dance, which, I admit, I did not learn in TT. I can only do up to three feet, which is all they do in the US."
She later performed with companies that focused on a variety of dance, including Afro-Peruvian fusion and belly-dance fusion companies.
"But really, after starting pole dancing and doing more circus arts, I went further in that direction, especially focusing on aerial."
Now she performs mostly as an aerial acrobat, though she still loves dance.
Performing at the VMAs was "bigger than any other award show I had performed in," she says. "To perform with the artist receiving the Vanguard Award of that year was just the icing on the cake."
That was not the first time she had danced backup for an A-list performer, though.
Williams said the key to her success so far has been consistent hard work and opportunity. She said making the best of each one has given her a chance to be discovered for other career-altering opportunities.
Before the VMAs, she danced on stages that included the Latin Billboard Awards, fire dancing for Reggaeton superstars Romeo Santos, stilts for Don Omar, and most notably, aerial for Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull in 2013. She did pole dancing for Aubrey O'Day, formerly of the band Danity Kane, in a show called The Knockouts.
"In 2014 I auditioned for Le Rêve, which was a cirque-style show in Las Vegas and was a major stepping stone in my career. The creator of this show, Franco Dragone, was a creative director of Cirque Du Soleil, but branched off to start his own show."
Williams had a number of solo performances in it, including an aerial hammock, aerial chair, and a character who did a 50-foot high dive into water. These solo roles led to her auditioning for Beyoncé for the Formation World Tour in 2016.
"That was a highlight in my career that happened because she wanted a black female aerialist.
"After that, I moved to LA from Miami, where I lived for about six years,and mostly hustled for gigs in the super-competitive market."
Moving to LA was partly motivated by wanting to seek out different kinds of opportunities.
Her agent helped her gain another grand opportunity when Missy Elliott was looking for black aerialists.
"Being a black aerialist is what I get called for most," Williams points out. "People seem to forget you can just do aerial and it really doesn't matter what colour you are, though sometimes – generally – I'd be overlooked for someone of a lighter complexion."
Because of this, she said, many of the openings that come her way would be in cases where organisers of shows want a racially diverse cast, or are outright seeking a black aerialist.
"But when I do perform and they take note of my skills, it is generally from there where I would get more opportunities or stick around on a job. I use these opportunities as an advantage for bursting open even more doors."
Though she couldn't reveal much about it, Williams said her next major performances will be in a live version of one of her favourite childhood movies.
As a performer, Williams said, she is motivated to keep improving at her craft.
"I am competing with myself, trying to gain new skills and up my game. But I do have future goals of getting into acting as well."

At 37 years old, Trinbagioian Trevon Joseph, “village boy” from Paramin graduated from the prestigious, world-renowned University of Oxford, November 1st, 2019. He is the first recipient of an engineering doctorate (DEng) conferred at the university in a century. An award that was the first awarded for a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in 1919 and the DEng in 2019.
Additionally impressive, is that both Joseph and Dr. Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago—who attained his Doctor of Philosophy degree at Oxford in 1938, both graduated from the same building, at the Sheldonian Theatre.
Joseph was among four students pursuing a doctorate in the offshore geotechnical engineering programme in 2014.
“I did not come from a rich background,” Joseph asserted. He explained he attended Woodbrook Secondary and Queen’s Royal College. He later studied civil engineering at the John Donaldson ‘John D’ Technical Institute (UTT). Here he said, he spent “the best years” of his life.
Joseph pursued a Bachelor’s in civil engineering at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine.
He got his first scholarship in 2007 at a university in Europe. When he attained his master’s degree, he secured a job in the United Kingdom after arriving there in 2009.
When asked about his historical success, Joseph said, “It was one of those events that you don’t really forget because you put so much effort into the last few years and you sacrifice time with family, friends, loved ones…just to more or less to do something that you want to do for yourself.”
He stressed that though it was no easy task, just “noting where we come from and where we represent”, to come to a foreign country and be accepted into an Oxford University programme, was “surreal”.
“I did not come from a rich background,” Joseph asserted. He explained he attended Woodbrook Secondary and Queen’s Royal College. He later studied civil engineering at the John Donaldson ‘John D’ Technical Institute (UTT). Here he said, he spent “the best years” of his life.
Next, he pursued a Bachelor’s in civil engineering at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine.
He got his first scholarship in 2007 at a university in Europe. When he attained his master’s degree, he secured a job in the United Kingdom after arriving there in 2009.
Joseph shared while he did not have family in the UK, he had friends and a fiancé. His parents would visit once a year. Sometimes, he said, his father would remind him “This is what you are doing it for Trevon…I know its hard but just crack on.” Both parents were present for his graduation.
In 2020, Trevon has plans to return to Trinidad and Tobago on a mission. He hopes to influence authority that renewable energy is cleaner and they only way ahead for the “betterment of mankind”.
Joseph observed that most countries, including T&T, are not contributing to the construction or the use of renewable energy sources to provide electricity that the country needs.
The European Union passed strict laws that ensure countries use a certain percentage of renewable energy sources by a certain date, otherwise, “they get fined” he said.
Overall, he said if countries were to invest in solar their contribution would be enough to supply a large percentage of their energy requirements from renewable energy sources.
“Trinidad has a lot of wind and a lot of sunlight…because of that…it does not make any sense not to capitalize on that…use some of that, capture it and convert it to electricity so you wouldn’t be using oil and gas to spin turbines to produce electricity. There’s a lot of blackouts that occur, one of the reasons is when the demand for electricity surpasses the supply,” he said. Source: Izzo.com Dec 14, 2019

Trinibagoian-Born, Celine Gittens is a principal dancer with the prestigious Birmingham Royal Ballet.
She made major history in 2012 by becoming the first coloured female in England to play the lead role of the most loved and mesmerizing of classical ballets, ‘Swan Lake’.
Raised in Vancouver with her mother Janet Gittens and trained at the Vancouver’s Goh Ballet Academy. At age 15, she started choreographing solos for local competitions in Canada and choreographed a pas de deux for Dance Mash, a multi-disciplinary choreographic workshop based at Birmingham Royal Ballet.
In 2011 she was invited to Buckingham Palace to celebrate young performers in the arts. The event was a dream come true and became one of her proudest moments to meet Her Majesty the Queen of England.
Ms. Gittens is decorated with many awards such as; the Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal, 2004; Gold Medal and Audience Choice Awards, Genée International Ballet Competition, 2005; Prix de Lausanne finalist, 2006; MPhil from the University of Birmingham, 2012.
Her repertoire includes; George Balanchine: Symphony in Three Movements, Serenade (Lead role), Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (Striptease Girl), John Cranko: Card Game (Ace of Spades), Mikhail Fokine: The Firebird (Princess) and Petrushka (Nursemaids), Kit Holder: Small Worlds and Quatrain, Joe Layton: The Grand Tour (Theda Bara)
Kenneth MacMillan: Elite Syncopations (‘Alaskan Rag’, ‘Bethena Concert Waltz’), Concerto (Second movement) and Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), with many other theatrical performances. Source: Izzo.com

I was trained to defend a country against armed conflict. What we are experiencing now is a virtual war. The enemy has the type of firepower and their tactics equate with what I faced when we fought the IRA whilst training in the UK.
They adopt hit and run tactics.
The difference here in this war - The rules of engagement is one whereby the enemy is trying to kill us and who we try to protect.
When we try to protect them and ourselves by shooting back with accurate shots, we are condemned.
We are attacked based even on what we wear. The media spends more time finding anything to attack us instead of the real enemy.
Many in the communities who lose loved ones by the same criminals, instead attack us, saying " all yuh too wicked".
Politicians who when in Government, saw it fit to tilt the scales of justice towards law abiding citizens, but when they go on the other side of the Parliamentary bench, get a change of heart and fight for the rights of criminals to be free even if held with weapons of war. And the unkindliest cut of all - in the history of all armed conflicts worldwide- this country has created history.
In our armed conflict, which is a virtual war zone, when we actually capture the enemy of the state, after being charged with gang activity and having firepower to kill hundreds in seconds, unlike prisoners of war who remain incarcerated until the armed conflict ends, we are directed to release them immediately, so they can go back unto the killing fields to lead their troops or be re issued with assault rifles to turn again at our law enforcement officials in the war zone.
Then when the murder count rises, the Police is blamed. Every creed and race no longer has an equal place. Criminal elements now have more rights, hence throwing cold water to that line in our anthem.
Regardless of the few detractors, and those who are in strategic positions to undermine what we are trying to achieve, including those in and out of uniform. I give the assurance that good would overcome evil.
I would continue to do what is required to defend the 1.2 million plus law abiding citizens from the criminals elements and their strategic allies.
The more they target me, it means that we are starting to achieve our objective. We would overcome. We would win back our country. Gary Griffith

he Tobago Cocoa Estate has once again made an international name for itself, having won a silver award at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards for its Laura dark milk chocolate bar.
Owner Duane Dove shared the great news via social media.
“LAURA WORLD SILVER 2019! We are elated our LAURA 45% bar has again brought home yet another prestigious award at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards WORLD finals in Guatemala on 18th November 2019. We would like to thank the judges at the ICA for recognizing us!” Dove said.
The estate, located in Roxborough, Tobago, won gold for its Laura bar in the milk bar category in 2017 and silver in 2018. 
The company also won gold at the 2019 Northwest Chocolate Awards for its Laura Dark Milk chocolate bar. 
The company exports chocolates to the Portland/Oregon area in the US as well as Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
​The company also conducts tours of the estate; for more information on the Tobago Cocoa Estate and the Rose Hill Estate, check them out on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2rCXapj or at www.tobagococoa.com