Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARTS
Dance
A predecessor of square dancing in the USA, quadrille dancing in the islands descends from
the formal dances of the European planters in the 18th century. Denied the public practice of
African dances like the bamboula , slaves imitated the formal dances of their masters during
holiday celebrations. But, of course, the slaves put an African spin on the music using the
banjo, ukulele and flute to create pulsating rhythms. Dancers in full skirts transformed the
jumpy steps of the European dance into smooth, hip-swaying movements. Today, the world-
touring Caribbean Dance Company of St Croix preserves quadrille dancing (and revives the
bamboula ) for public entertainment at festivals and the performing arts centers on the is-
lands.
Architecture
The towns of Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted are the best place in the Caribbean to see
examples of what is often thought of as traditional West Indian architecture. In fact, this ar-
chitecture is a loose adaptation of the English Georgian (neoclassical) style from the late
18th century. At their best, the West Indies classics are two or three stories tall with arched
galleries for pedestrians on the 1st and 2nd floor verandas, 'welcoming arms' exterior stair-
cases and hipped roofs. Construction materials are a mix of ship-ballast brick, 'rubble' (a
blend of coral, molasses and straw) and wood.
Exteriors feature soothing pastel shades of yellow, turquoise, lime and sometimes pink.
Window shutters keep out inclement weather and hot sunlight. Large rooms with high ceil-
ings help buildings 'breathe' the trade winds.
Frederiksted, rebuilt in the late Victorian era after it was destroyed by labor riots, is a re-
pository of Victorian buildings.
Painting & Sculpture
The most celebrated painter to come from the Virgin Islands is Camille Pissarro. Born in St
Thomas in 1830 as Jacob Pizarro, the son of Spanish Jews, he grew up on Main St in Char-
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