Queen Latesha gets Beyonce, Jay-Z boost

Queen Latesha has been one of the hottest dancers on the local dancehall circuit for more than a decade. However, international success has eluded her. But after news that international pop stars Beyonce and Jay-Z used her choreography in their latest On the Run Tour trailer, it seems Queen Latesha is about to get her the break into the US market.

In an interview with THE WEEKEND STAR, Queen Latesha said that she had wanted to share the news of her most recent success since she first got the opportunity. However, she revealed that while she was working as one of the creative directors on the video, Beyonce gave specific directions that no information should be disclosed about the project before its release.

Now, she is happy to finally celebrate this milestone in her career with her fans. She is particularly excited because she will be embarking on a tour overseas soon. She looks forward to the opportunities that may present themselves because of this news.

"I am ready for everything positive that will come with this highlight," she said. "It's hard as a dancer because you often don't get the credit you deserve for the work you put in, but I'm really happy that someone as big as BeyoncÈ has given dancehall this kind of exposure."

Latesha added that she was elated to work with Beyonce. "I had a one-and-one private session with Miss Jay B, who is Beyonce's main dancer. However, at the time when I taught the session, I was not told who I was doing it for until the other day," she recalled. "I was excited, calm and in shock at once. I was personally introduced to her (Beyonce) as the dance choreographer, and she told me that I am a good dancer. I showed her some moves that she can't catch. However, when I showed her my concept called the 'Hottitude', she got in full character," she said.

Hottitude is the bit of choreography featured in the On The Run Tour footage. Scenes for the trailer were filmed at Stone Love HQ, Trench Town, and Portland.

Giving credit to Beyonce for taking the time to learn the culture on the ground from the people who created it, Queen Latesha said that dancers and artistes from Jamaica need to get more recognition for their creative talent.

"This is very encouraging that two major superstars are interested in our culture. But we need to trademark dancehall more and recognise its power as it continues to unite the world and create a platform for Jamaicans," she said.