Dancers show gangs
THE words “Sho Dem” in graffiti decorate the wall bordering Sydenham’s Barnes Road sports grounds.
It doesn’t stand for the name of any notorious drug gang that occupies the park, especially at night and over weekends, but rather an antidote.
Shemar Stuart, manager of the Sho Dem hip-hop group, said taking part in the dance offers the local youth alternatives.
“We’re not fighting the drug gangs,” he insisted.
“We’re building something.”
In the early days of the group, there was friction between the Sho Dem troupe and the drug gangs because both used the green lung.
“Now, the drug people are not a threat. Many want to come our way but there is just something that keeps them away.”
Stuart added that it was important for people to know they could draw graffiti as well as dance. Troupe member Shannon Bailey said joining the troupe had saved his life from a dark era in gangsterism.
“I’ve been through a lot,” he said, adding that he had done “hard drugs”.
“They called me to dance with them and it gave me one reason to get out (of gangs and drugs).”
He said it was easier to get off drugs “if your mind is occupied and doing what you love”.
“Anyone can put their mind to it.”
Bailey said he did not undergo any rehabilitation. “Dancing was my rehab.” Stuart said they had won several competitions and performed for corporates and for schools.
Another troupe member, Jose Africa, is a teacher at Sherwood Primary School. He said the contact he had with kids made him aware of the social challenges they faced.
“They can relate to hiphop. They understand what the hip-hop artists are saying. If you have a message, they understand what you are saying.”
The group can be contacted on bsfp2017@gmail.com