King Fish limbos his way into hearts

Born and raised in the quiet district of Over River Orange in St James, Jamaica, Clifford Palmer has spent the last 30 years mastering the art of limbo dancing and has spread his wings across the world.

His foray into limbo dancing was sparked while working as a lifeguard on a catamaran in Negril, Westmoreland, three decades ago. He recalls stringing a sheet line across the boat and inviting tourists to to watch him limbo. It didn't take long for his crew mates to notice his flair for performance. He was encouraged to turn his talent into a career.

"Limbo I think that just dropped in my lap, you know, it was a gift from God," Palmer said.

The limbo dancer's moniker, King Fish, is a merger of his childhood name and one that he picked up as a result of his dancing exploits. 'Fish' dates back to his childhood, when he would spend endless hours swimming in the nearby river, often staying in the water so long his skin turned pale. The name 'King' came later, after he began dazzling crowds with his limbo skills.

The St James, however, noted that his journey to stardom has not been easy. His first professional performance took place at Couples Negril in 2001, thanks to a surprise opportunity set up by his brother, Soloman.

"One day my brother brought a friend with him on the boat. The friend was a fire dancer. He said I want you to come with me to the hotel and do the limbo. It wasn't until I was at the hotel that he told me he was going to light the bar on fire and I would have to go under it. I was scared, but I cleared the bar and the crowd went wild," Palmer said.

That same year, Palmer crossed path with Dal, a Canadian tourist, who later became his wife. She had stepped on a sea urchin while snorkelling, and Palmer rushed to help her.

"I was performing at the beach where she stayed that night, but she had no idea that I'm a limbo dancer because I never really like tell people," Palmer said.

After his show, Palmer approached her and from there on it was basically, "Love at first limbo" he joked. The couple got engaged in December 2002 and married the following year. In 2005, Palmer migrated to Canada, where adapting to a new culture brought its own challenges.

"There were a lot of Filipinos where I live ... Filipinos and Indians like East Indians, so they don't speak English, so they didn't have much to relate to like back home in Jamaica."

Despite the cultural differences, Palmer was determined to showcase his skill as a limbo dancer. He began uploading his performances to YouTube, and this opened doors for him to perform in Canada as well as places such as Dubai, Bermuda and the United States of America.

"To see little King Fish from Over River Orange jump on a plane and go all the way to Dubai that's a huge thing," he said proudly.

Out of these experiences, Palmer has created Limbo For All - a business and movement aimed at preserving limbo culture and making it accessible to everyone, regardless of age or ability.

"My favourite limbo moment was working at a senior home, even persons in wheelchairs and walkers and also working with kids because they have so much energy," he shared.

Behind the scenes, his wife Dal plays an instrumental role in the business's success. With over 25 years of experience managing corporate events, she now balances freelance planning, raising their children, and managing bookings and logistics for Limbo For All.

"We are both still working our day jobs and raising kids, so it's a total juggling act every day," she said.

For Palmer, the support of his family is everything. "My wife is the backbone of this. She handles the contracts, networking, and reaches out to clients. None of this would be possible without her."

As he continues to inspire people around the globe, King Fish hopes to one day return to his homeland for a grand homecoming performance.