Dancers' Paradise: Song and dance must go hand in hand

It's been almost two years since it hit the local and international airwaves, but the momentum behind the Fling dance doesn't seem like it will be dying out anytime soon.

The dance has captivated the local and international dance scene and was recently featured in Janet Jackson's Made For Now music video.

In the latest viral video involving the dance, mourners danced to it while carrying a casket.

Speaking with Dancers' Paradise on the longevity of the dance created by Kool Ravers, Ding Dong, leader of the Ravers Clavers dance group, explained that the dance's survival is inextricably linked to the song.

The dancer-turned-artiste pointed out that both song and dance have their individual strengths and explained that when the two forces combined, it gave birth to one of the biggest dance moves Jamaica and the world has seen in years.

"You have nuff dance weh bad, but dem don't last long because the song was weak. A dance can be the easiest to catch and it may have potential, but if the song don't give you the energy to move, then the dance goes nowhere," he explained. "Look pan all the dances you have over the years weh last. Dem last dat long because the song did work too. You have dance like Badman Forward, Pan Di River, Weddy Bounce and more weh if you play di song dem inna any party today, the place lift up same way, and look how long some a dem dance deh buss."

Ding Dong said he believes he has struck the balance between song and dance and said that may be the formula to his success.

He encouraged artistes who are using music to promote dance moves, to be mindful that both elements need to work well together.

SYNCING PERFECTLY

He explained also that for the songs to work, the melodies, the beats and the lyrics also need to sync perfectly.

"It has to be about the whole vibe on the song, too, for the song to complement the dance. When you hear the song Fling, it's not just the words; it's the beat, it's the energy, the melodies working as one," he said. "That's what makes the dance even better, apart from the fact that it's easy to do, because if you look at it, Flairy is a more complex dance, but it gives people the same vibe as Fling. So even when you can't do it so well, when you hear the song you really just wah get up and move, because there's something about how the song is put together that's special."

He encouraged his fellow musicians to utilise dancers and the immense talent they bring to the entertainment scene.

"I think sometimes as artistes, we overlook how much dancers really contribute to the entertainment industry. I have proven that a song will last longer in the business just because it has a dance to it. So we affi acknowledge and use up our dancers," he said.