‘A dancers buss songs’
Latonya Style demands ‘more love’ for performers
Dancer extraordinaire Latonya Style, says dancers are undervalued and treated like the “underdogs” within the entertainment industry, despite being the ones who give fame to most viral hit songs.
Style, who has been a dancer for more than two decades, opined that most artistes and industry players show a lack of appreciation to dancers, who she said play very vital roles in artistes’ careers. “If you look at everyone in the industry, like the producer, artiste, there’s a structure for everybody to be paid and their job is respected. But, like we now, wi just fi do everything fi free.
And, if we do get pay, they don’t want to give us a high salary,” she shared, while noting that it’s a very tedious process to copyright and ‘codify’ a dance move in order to earn royalties.
“The artistes demselves don’t really care about us sometimes. A lot of songs that buss because of dancing is not even dance songs, but, once a dancer touch it, it gone. So we’re just asking the artistes for some more love; give us some recognition and show the same love to we like weh unu show to foreigners.” She acknowledged artistes such as Spice, Mr Vegas, Ding Dong and Teejay, who she said respect their dancers.
Style said dancers add a visual touch to a song, which gets a better reception from the wider audience. “You hear it and it’s fine but, when yuh see movements to it, you’re more attracted to it. Because, right now you only know some songs because of the dance and the trending songs on TikTok. If yuh just play dem dry, dem nuh buss, but, once a dance or challenge go to it, they get popular,” she said.
Billboard selector Boom Boom believes that dancers are the forerunners in many hit songs, and should be properly credited.
“A me and di dancer dem really work. Suh when me play di songs, dem dance towards it and dat encourage me because, when di people dem watch di video, dem seh ‘yea, di song have potential and it can buss because see di dancer dem a dance to it’. Suh it’s one hand wash the other,” he stated.
“When it come on to the female song dem, yuh have di cheerleader dem weh create di excitement round di song and a whole heap a di wining song mi cheerleader dem buss fi mi,” he added.
While admitting that TikTok took away some of the glory from the ‘in the street’ dancers, he opined that creativity rules and the original creators are still trendsetters.
“Right now, di ting change back because di youth and girl dem a build dem routine and a dance now to the song dem inna di streets [and] yuh can see seh, when a song buss from inna di street, it last longer than when a song buss pon TikTok,” he added.
After initially sharing her views on Instagram, Style got backlash from a selector who stated that it’s “selectors who buss songs”. Style said selectors play a major role just like everybody else, so she was not taking away their credit.
“It’s not about that, it’s just accepting and acknowledging dancers, giving us a one big-up and mek wi know we’re appreciated, because, as dancers and selectors, we feed off each other’s energy. We work hand-in-hand and it’s just love, it’s not a competition ... mi just affi highlight my people,” the veteran dancer shared.
In moving forward, she implored all dancers to value themselves more and make themselves marketable.
“Create a package, mek sure yuh ting professional and in demand, suh people want you and will pay [you] what you’re worth. Value yourself first because nobody else naah guh value you if you don’t put yourself on that high demand. Network with other dancers and artistes so they can also value you. Promote and capitalise on everything you do because it’s how you present yourself that’s gonna give you opportunities,” she advised.