The Class Act Performing Arts Club and the Explorers Travel Club at Central Eleuthera High School (CEHS) teamed up during the month of November to bring to life a performing arts presentation, showcasing “All Things Caribbean”. The fundraising event, with a theme meant to celebrate the beauty, rhythm, and unity of Caribbean culture through song, dance, poetry and skits, was hosted at the Cancer Society’s Wellness Center venue in Palmetto Point on Friday, November 21st, 2025. Students from across the high school grade levels took part in this fourth installment of the event (last held in November 2024), which was the brainchild of Performing Arts and English Language and Literature teacher at CEHS, as well as mentor and club advisor, Ms. Sophia Smith. An engaging educator, dedicated to having an impact in the lives of her students, through both academics, and the arts, she expressed her pleasure in being able to once again have the talent and bravery of her students rewarded after weeks of preparation.
With a 7 p.m. start time, and tickets sold for $15 at the door, a healthy gathering of family members – a notable number of dads included, friends, community supporters and students were seated in the audience, as they awaited the performances of each brave group and individual. The evening show was moderated by former CEHS student and recent graduate, Makai Gardiner, along with CEHS teacher, Ms. Cornish – who kept the program rolling along smoothly. The Caribbean theme saw performances based on cultural songs, poetry and dance from islands like Jamaica, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas.
The CEHS dancers group, which performed lively dance segments showcasing a number of the themed island cultures, brought out the budding choreography talents of students – Baldeisha Johnson, Ciara Cleare and Sebastianna Jean. Ms. Smith also had help from a number of other teachers with CEHS, who not only assisted with moderation, and overall organization, but also took part in several performances, including dance and poetry. The audience, again was an encouraging one – cheering on students who excelled, and encouraging others past their stage fright.
Culturally rich poetry renditions with titles like, ‘The Roaches’, ‘Back to the Root’, ‘Mi Caan Believe It’, and ‘Crop Time’, were delivered, as well as original poems, penned by the students themselves, including – ‘Bahamian Times’, ‘Current Out’, ‘The Way Back Home’, and ‘Sweet Bahama Breeze’. Bahamian classics like, ‘Old Zeke’ and ‘Encounter with a Chickcharney’, were also in the poetry lineup. A courageous rendition of Haitian inspired solo, ‘Bondye Ou Fidel’ by Liana Jean-Baptiste, and melodious version of ‘Tell Ole I Een Here’, by Isabella Taylor – as well as a surprisingly bass solo presentation of ‘Bahama Rock’ by Antonio McCardy – drew hearty applause.
Three male students, including Rodriguez Johnson, Ricardo McKenzie, and Tesaii Wallace, in a powerful and gutsy performance of ‘Gun Boys Rhapsody Monologue Medley’ took the audience through the thoughts and actions of three unfortunate young men, moments before their demise by gun violence – highlighting the situations, attitudes and consequences of violence in culture.
A colourful junkanoo dance extravaganza topped out the evening of Caribbean and Bahamian performances.
During the evening’s intermission, where students and spectators had the opportunity to purchase refreshments at the rear deck of the venue, before taking in the second half of the program, The Eleutheran caught up with organizer Ms. Smith, who commented on the preparation and inspiration that went into this year’s production, saying, “So, this night started off with celebrating all things Bahamian. And the children were like, ‘Ms. Smith, why stop there?’ And so, we branched out into all things Caribbean, and it came alive. We have poems from different countries, songs from different countries, dances, and the children were teaching each other… And then of course, my young teachers who are coming up and taking over, making my work light, like Ms. Cornish and Ms. Thomas and all of them coming in. You see, the teachers were performing and all. Every year we’ve gotten a little bigger, and a little bit better.”
She continued, talking a bit about the goals of this year’s fundraising, sharing, “This year, as always, we’re doing it in conjunction with Explorers Travel Club. Last year we went to Cuba and we had a wonderful time. We are heading to Panama this school year. We are also doing some other trips in between, some local ones, like going to see the Dundas in January. We have a lot of projects. We want to support our own and we also want to expose our children to something wider. So, here we are. We’ve got teachers, parents, and some of our teachers who would have left us coming along as well. So, it’s almost a community trip and we’re looking forward to it.”
Ms. Smith further expressed her appreciation, that even under new leadership, the school supported the club’s vision of “learning through exposure,” aiming to broaden students’ horizons beyond national borders. The upcoming Panama trip, she added, would also provide an opportunity for students studying Spanish to practice their language skills and bring classroom learning to life through immersion – especially with CEHS Spanish teacher, Ms. Pinder joining the trip planned for the Easter break.
The performing arts club at CEHS, said Ms. Smith, had a sizeable membership, and due to the large number of participants in the November 21st show, not all students were able to perform. However, she said plans were in place for another show next semester as well as plans for participation in the 2026 National Arts Festival.
