Dancers' Paradise: Energy ‘gets there’ with dance

He grew up watching dancers like Shelly Belly, Bogle and John Hype take centre stage in dancehall. The excitement that came with life in the dancehall hypnotised him. So from his teenage days, Energy, of Getthere Squad, knew that’s where his heart was and he pursued his passion. Today, he has made a name for himself in the dancehall. So much so that conversations about impactful dancers would be grossly inaccurate if his name was left out. Still, Energy says he’s not doing dancing for the popularity or a shot at fame, he’s doing it out of pure love.

“I started dancing from I was a kid, about 13. Energy was always a happy youth, weh love fi put a smile pan people face. It gives me a joy fi entertain people, me love see when people happy and das why me do dancing, fi di love,” he said, pointing out that he’s had to overcome a lot of negative banter on his way to the top. “A nuh everybody a go like yuh, and yah go get criticised from a lot of people. Me never have myself as the baddest dancer, but me always give it me all. Me respect the profession and me always approach things with happiness and joy, a just me dat.”

MOST ENERGETIC DANCER

Energy, who won an award for most Energetic Dancer at this year’s Weddy Weddy Anniversary, says although he was dancing with another crew before meeting Ching and becoming a member of the Getthere squad, his career soared to new heights after his encounter with the Rock the World singer. “From Ching say, ‘Energy a lock the world’, is like everybody feel it, worldwide. Things get crazy, me deh a party and it nuh stop pull up and so me did affi create a dance,” he said. “Me come up, with the dance and it take off. Me start go some new places wid Ching because a di dance, and a deh so me start see the love from people. Me never know a so people know me. Me go some far places and see people a scream when me come pan stage, dem a clap and a do the dance, and a just pure blessings. Mi affi big up Chi Ching Ching from mi heart and Getthere Squad. Ching have a time when him know a your time, so everybody get dem chance fi shine. Gabbidon, Shakespeare, Kool Kid, everybody a one family and nobody nah prove pan nobody,” he told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Speaking of something to prove, Energy said he doesn’t compete with other dancers. He told Dancers’ Paradise that he has learnt to stay in his own lane and work in silence. He believes that rather than focusing on the competition and bettering another man, one should be working at bettering themselves. “Me get a lot a fight inna dance, das me reach the stage now weh me just do me thing and nuh worry about competition. People look up to me, especially kids, and when dem come to me and say dem wah be a dancer because a me, dem thing deh feel better than trying to be on top. Dat gimme more hope and build me more fi wah continue dis,” he said. “Nuff people did think Energy was going to flop, but as a likkle yute me know ’bout struggle, so me just always a fight. When people come wid bad vibes, me know how fi step away.”