"I have to find somewhere to put my dance school, and I have to find it before April!" That's the cry from Noble Douglas, founder and artistic director of the Noble Douglas Dance Company Inc and one of this country's leading forces in dance for over 20 years.

It's ironic that at the time when Douglas is being honoured by her company and her peers, the Caribbean School of Dance on Dere Street, Port of Spain, where she has conducted classes for a number of years, has told her they are no longer able to accommodate her classes.

While some may see this as a stroke of misfortune, the members of her company see this as the beginning of a new phase in Douglas's career, and the sign for them to get cracking on their plans to establish the Noble Douglas School for the Performing Arts.

Douglas has been teaching dance since 1974, when she returned from training and performing in London and the United States. She was a member of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop when, in 1976, she and Carol La Chapelle formed the Trinidad Theatre Workshop Dance Company.

"We did our first show, Revival, at the Little Carib Theatre," said Douglas. "I remember Alyson Brown, Norline Metivier, Stefan Bobb and Brian Walker were some of the dancers who performed."

In 1978, the TTW Dance Company became the La Chapelle-Douglas Dance Company, the breeding ground for dancers like Natalie Rogers, Nadine Mose, Penelope Kalloo, Errol Fahey and Jeffrey Carter, who are now leading dancers with companies abroad.

In 1983 Douglas took up the rare opportunity to work with the world-famous Alvin Ailey Dance Company in the US.

"Alvin was like a mentor. In that year, I worked in literally all the departments and went on tour with the first company. I went to Japan and some places I probably would have never seen in the US, like New Orleans, Nebraska, Chicago, Hawaii and San Francisco."

Touring with the company gave Douglas a first-hand look at how a professional company worked and etched in her mind a vision of what she wanted to achieve in Trinidad.

On her return in 1984, Douglas had to deal with the disbanding of the company and her mother's death. She wasn't prepared to take on the responsibility of running a company alone, so she started working with choreographer Andre Largen.

"Andre had to go back to the United States in 1985 and I simply decided to form a company. That's when Noble Douglas Dance Company Inc was formed."

At this point in her career, Douglas admits to needing a break. "I'm very tired because my year is divided into three parts: Carnival, Lilliput Children's Theatre and the company, and it's been like this for a while."

Maybe they sensed her need or it was just coincidence, but when the time came to plan the 1997 season, the company decided to produce Noble 97 and use it as an occasion to honour Douglas's contribution to dance.

"I am grateful to the company for what they are doing", she said. "I'm still there twice a week, though, because I have to rehearse "Fugal", which is my own piece, and the new piece, "A Work in Progress'."

Noble 97 will feature some of Douglas's classic works like "Why Bach?" "Hysterics", "Fugal" and "Passage".

With the company producing its own season, it is clear that Douglas is passing the baton to a new generation of dancers and choreographers.

Heather Henderson-Gordon, the company's rehearsal director, is the person who reminds Douglas most of herself.

"I love to watch Heather dance: in Heather I see a lot of myself. We have the same kind of feet, the same way of moving."

Douglas actively encourages all her dancers to try their hand at choreography, but those who have really taken a keen interest in it are Henderson-Gordon, Dave Williams, who has produced two dance shows and Allan Balfour.

"I wish I could get a few more male dancers," said Douglas. "Before, they used to come out of Best Village - now they ain't coming out of nowhere!" She says this is not a situation that is unique to us, and male dancers are also hard to find elsewhere.

Looking to the future, Douglas is most concerned about finding a location for her school. Her company also shares this concern and is using the funds raised from the $100 ticket gala benefit night on October 10 at Queen's Hall to start the ball rolling.

"I want my school," said Douglas. "I usually go gently - but that I want."

Once the Noble Douglas School for the Performing Arts is open, Douglas will be able to realize her vision of a self-sufficient, powerful creative artistic organization much like the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.

"When I get that, everything is supposed to blossom so if anyone knows of any premises, please let me know!"

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