IN a dance ecosystem often defined by fleeting trends and familiar formulas, Metamorphosis Dance Company has remained committed to evolution.
True to its name, the company continues to develop and deliver a new generation of talent, while providing a home for more seasoned artistes to refine and challenge their craft. Ahead of their 2025 season production “Paths of Possibility”, two dancers stand as living testaments to the company’s impact—classical veteran Terry Springer and rising hip hop star Matthew McLean.
The Metamorphosis two-day production will be staged on April 12 and 13 at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain.
Metamorphosis dancers perform McClean’s hip hop choreography.
Legacy in motion
Terry Springer’s dance journey began “eons ago”, as he puts it, in the cultural crucible of Best Village. Back then, the dance landscape leaned heavily into traditional folk, classical Indian, jazz, and modern styles. Classical ballet was mostly reserved for alignment and technical support, rarely performed in full. But over the years, Springer has seen a shift—not just in how dance is taught and performed, but in how it’s received.
“Metamorphosis has grown from an ambitious experiment into a defining force in our artistic community,” Springer said. “It has pushed boundaries, blending classical technique with contemporary, modern, and even hip hop styles. Now, we see a generation of dancers who are more fearless than ever in their movement and expression.”
Springer has always viewed classical technique as a tool—not a constraint—and credits that grounding with giving him the freedom to develop his own voice.
“When you’re not worried about physical hurdles, you tend to focus on interpretation, and that’s when the magic happens,” Springer notes.
Terry, left, with Metamorphosis Dance Company co-founder and artistic director Nancy Herrera, choreographer Yia Loren Gomez and Metamorphosis Dance Company co-founder Carol Yip Choy.
It’s a philosophy Springer’s shared in studios and on stages across T&T and abroad, and one that he now instils in younger dancers coming up under his guidance. For Springer, legacy isn’t about preserving the past, but inspiring innovation through preparation.
“If I can inspire the slightest spark in even one dancer,” he muses, “then I’m happy because the tradition lives on.”
A new rhythm
emerges
Matthew McLean represents a new rhythm in that tradition. A hip hop dancer and choreographer, McLean entered the Metamorphosis fold through his work at University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), where artistic director Nancy Herrera recognised his unique technique. His choreographic style leans heavily into street and urban vocabularies, pushing against the boundaries of what’s typically expected in concert dance.
“While most do embrace my work, and praise the integration of urban and classical styles, others may need a little more time to warm up to it,” McLean admits. “Through my movement, I hope to spark conversations about evolution, and new forms of expression that can be incorporated into our culture.”
That fusion—of urban roots with classical discipline—has taught McClean the importance of structure, without sacrificing authenticity.
“There are many similarities with respect to movement and structure between hip hop and modern/contemporary styles,” he noted. That’s what I learned mainly from the fusion.”
McLean is part of a new wave of dancers reshaping how hip hop is perceived within the local dance space.
“Yes, the shift is in full effect,” he said. “Particularly with the current generation of dancers and choreographers, who are pushing the boundaries of what hip hop dance can represent within the cultural landscape of Trinidad and Tobago.”
For McLean, dance is more than movement—it’s identity. He speaks with clarity and conviction about blending global genres with local storytelling: “My journey shaped my understanding of dance and discovering ways to merge global dance styles, such as hip hop or even contemporary, with local influences like folk, soca, kaiso and chutney.”
Foundations
that endure
Now in its 30th year, Metamorphosis continues to provide a rare kind of continuity in the local performing arts scene—developing not just dancers but fully formed artistes. Company members are required to be proficient in ballet and modern dance at minimum, with many also trained in jazz, tap, and Afro-Caribbean folk traditions. That depth of training is part of what Terry believes gives local dancers an edge in global spaces.
“One of the things that truly sets all our dancers apart—not just classical dancers—is our versatility and cultural richness,” Springer said. “We develop a natural adaptability that isn’t as common in more rigidly structured training environments abroad.”
McClean agrees. He sees his long-term impact not just as a performer, but as a builder of space.
“I imagine my impact long-term as a choreographer, opening doors for other dancers to express themselves in new, innovative ways,” McClean said. “An environment where they’re not competing with traditional genres but instead can find ways to fuse their passion for urban and classical styles with the local culture.”
With Paths of Possibility, both dancers will take the stage to reflect that spirit—one grounded in discipline, but open to possibility. In their own way, they each embody the evolution that Metamorphosis has long championed.
This April, Trinidad and Tobago won’t just be watching a show. It will be witnessing a continuum of legacy and experimentation, discipline and daring. And if Springer and McLean are anything to go by, the future of dance in this country isn’t just in safe hands—it’s in powerful motion.
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