AMSTERDAM--Three St. Maarten creatives took their talents to an international stage at WorldPride Amsterdam 2026, with choreographer and multidisciplinary creative Andrew Sylveste leading choreography for a performance by British singer and actor Olly Alexander.
Sylveste was joined on the production by fellow St. Maarten creatives Jeanille Gibs and Otmar Martina, who worked alongside him as co-choreographers and assistants, placing three representatives of the island's creative community together on one of the world's major Pride stages.
Sharing the experience on Instagram, Sylveste described the opportunity as “a little surreal, a little full circle, and definitely a dream come true,” reflecting on the significance of working internationally while having two fellow St. Maarten creatives beside him.
The production brought together an international team of dancers, with Sylveste serving as choreographer for the group. As part of the wider WorldPride project, he also had the opportunity to choreograph numbers for Jamaican singer Diana King and Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning actor, singer and performer Billy Porter.
King, who uses they/them pronouns, made history in 2012 as the first Jamaican artist to publicly come out as LGBTQ+. The opportunity for Sylveste to work with King added another Caribbean connection to a project centered on WorldPride and LGBTQ+ visibility.
For Sylveste, the Amsterdam production also marked a return to a part of his creative career from which he had stepped away for some time. Choreography forms part of his wider multidisciplinary work, which also includes dance, MCing, acting and Pilates Reformer.
His first major international project following that period away from choreography gave him an opportunity to reconnect with his love of music, movement and performance while also creating opportunities for other talent to share the stage.
Sylveste thanked the dancers, Alexander and his team, as well as Pride Amsterdam and Darling Peter for the opportunity and the trust placed in him throughout the production.
The collaboration placed Sylveste, Gibs and Martina on an international platform while highlighting the depth of creative talent coming out of St. Maarten. Their involvement also demonstrated how local creatives continue to find opportunities beyond the island in dance, entertainment and live performance.
From St. Maarten to WorldPride Amsterdam, the three creatives represented their island through their work while contributing to a production featuring internationally recognized performers and an international team of dancers.
