Jamaican dance crews have their moment

Erin Hansen, Gleaner Writer

Solidarity among dancers was strong Tuesday night at the premiere of A Dance For Grace at the Courtleigh Auditorium, a film about an American dance crew who learns the Jamaican dancehall style to compete in a national dance competition to pay medical fees for a local community woman named Grace.

Jamaican dance crews such as Black Blingaz, HP Dancers and Kadillac Dancers were present at the opening and expressed their excitement in having been involved in the project. "It never come to my mind that I'd be in a film," Anish from HP Dancers told The Gleaner. "We bust out of our shell now," Reno from HP Dancers added.

This was the first feature full-length film for many of the Jamaican dancers who took part in the plotline as competitors against the American dance team. The film highlights the talent of Jamaican dancers and the dancehall style of dance.

choreography

Black Blingaz, the Jamaican dance crew that contributed original choreography for the film, had an important part in coordinating the Jamaican dancers for the film.

While touring overseas, Black Blingaz were introduced to Orville Matherson, co-producer and lead actor, by the choreographer Donna Ray. Ray suggested that they would be a perfect addition to the film because of their international look.

"We came up with a lot of the choreography," John Bling told The Gleaner, later adding that all the moves they'd contributed to the film were original styles.

"It's one of the greatest feelings to have - knowing we carried something original to the world," Chris Bling said.

What seems most significant to the dancers is that they represented Jamaica and their style of dance in a positive light. Migz Bling emphasised their drive to make it positive, saying, "We took on the task, represented our community, Jamaica, and dancehall."

The film, which was seven years in the making, features dancehall against many other types of dance, but in the film, dancehall style prevails.

Orville Matherson was in high spirits at the premiere, mingling among the crowd and enjoying his moment in the spotlight. Matherson, who was born in Jamaica, talked about how refreshing it was to return to his roots in the film. "It's like homecoming," Matherson said. "You do something like this and you want it to be appreciated by the source of the film, Jamaica."

During the showing of A Dance for Grace, many of the Jamaican dancers sat together and cheered during their scenes, rooting one another on. From where the Gleaner team was sitting, it appeared that all of the theatre's liveliness was emitting from one very large Jamaican dance crew.