Dancers' Paradise: Goldie Locs finds her purpose through dance

Dancer Quacia Skeen, who goes by the stage name Goldie Locs, is satisfied that she has found her purpose in life with her chosen art form.

A fourth-year student at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, the Manchester-born dancer names her mother as her inspiration.

Her mother used to teach children from various churches and youth groups the elements and techniques of dance, and she had so much passion for it that Goldie had no choice but to follow in her footsteps.

“My first dance performance was when I was three years old in church, and since then, I’ve never stopped dancing,” Goldie Locs revealed.

By the age of 13, she had got involved in teaching and choreographing dances for solos and groups.

With a bias towards the dancehall culture and Afrobeat, Goldie Locs has secured her space in the competitive dancehall arena, and she is loving every minute of it.

“Moving into Kingston, I’ve found my true identity as a dancer. I look up to mostly dancehall dancers such as the late Bogle, Kimiko Versatile, who came up with my alias ‘Goldie Locs’, Tara the Rebel, Inspire and Dancing Rebel. I have seen how hard these individuals have pushed and continue to push for respect for our dancehall culture. I’ve been working with other dancers in the arena and learning more about our rich Jamaican culture,” she said.

Goldie Locs has appeared in several music videos by artistes of this genre. Among her credits are video shoots for Bella Blair’s Hot Gal Something, Shape Nice by Vybz Kartel, Afro B and Dre Skull, Ocean Breeze by UK-based Jamaican artiste Solydz, and a medley videos by Beenie Man.

Goldie Locs says that most of the jobs she gets are through recommendations or from persons who see her videos on social media and contact her directly.

“With the Kartel video, one of my friends who is also a dancer was asked to find Afrobeat and dancehall dancers. She knows that I am really good at this, and she recommended me. They went on my IG (Instagram) page and liked what they saw, so they picked me,” she explained.

The shoot was done last month at the Kingston waterfront.

The 22-year-old, who was born on Valentine’s Day, attended Manchester High School, and it was there that she honed her skills even more.

The final-year dance major is looking to a future filled with many possibilities. She has a few offers on the table, including teaching jobs at the high-school level and going on tour with Solydz.

Her long-term goal, however, is to return home to Manchester and open a performance arts centre.