| Remembering Gerald 'Bogle' Levy |
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"Gerald "Bogle" Levy, a leading dancehall choreographer......" |
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The above snippet, taken from one of many headlines that circulated internationally one year ago, underscores the impact of the late Bogle, who will be remembered later today, on the anniversary of his death.
Dancehall choreographer Levy may not have had the benefit of formal instruction in dance movement, but when it comes to a textbook, well, it's certainly arguable that he wrote it, or at least demonstrated it.
Though not the first individual to accompany dancehall artistes, Bogle more than any single figure helped to move dance moves from the fringes to its present position at the forefront of the dancehall culture. He was a major influence on breakout artistes such as Elephant Man and Beenie Man, earning direct mentions in the songs they crafted around his innovative sequences and featuring heavily in the music videos.
From the Bogle to the Urkel (so named for the proto-nerd lead character Steve Urkel on the TV series Family Matters) to the World dance, Levy spun out countless other dancehall-defining moves on an almost daily basis from the Lincoln Road area that still serves as the base for his remaining dance confederates.
As fluid as he was in action, Bogle was as well recognised for his non-dance sayings and antics, which earned him the additional moniker of Mr Wacky. Among the most telling were his exclamations "Crime Scene!" and "Forensic Report!" which would prove eerily and tragically prophetic in the wee hours of January 20, 2005.
While at a service station in Half-Way-Tree, Bogle was shot by two men who rode up on a motorcycle and opened fire on the dancer's F-150, killing him and wounding the other occupants of the vehicle (one of whom subsequently died).
The funeral, at the Kencot Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kingston, was all but a self-contained dance (much to the chagrin of church offcials), complete with mourners in their up-to-the-minute dancehall garb, chrome-laden SUVs, luxury sedans and coupes(Bogle himself was known to sport a red bentley convertible), wild cheering, singing and, yes, dancing.
The mourners ran the gamut from entertainment and political luminaries to his own compatriots, like Ice, who along with Boysie, and Cullo-Cullo and others are holding up his legacy.
Ice, who grew up in the Jungle area, watching his idol perform, repeats a particularly trenchant -indeed "Bogle-ian" observation. "is like Mr Wacky say, everybody a dance but nuh everybody a dancer."
The difference, he says, lies in the commitment to creating one's own moves and relentlessly proving them on the "battleground" - the dances and stages of Jamaica and, increasingly, the world.
Direct Link to the source: www.jamaicanobserver.com
Dancehall dance: The next stars
Since his untimely passing, Bogle's enormous legacy is not only depicted when dancehall fans emulate his many dance moves, but it is also highlighted with the large amount of emerging dancers and dance groups that now exists.
Clyde McKenzie, director of Shocking Vibes Production Limited highlights that Bogle epitomised the 'dancing professional' in the dancehalls, and in fact created a market for the upcoming artistes in which they are of high demand.
Ice (Photos: Naphtali Junior)
"It's a business, the actual choreography is a business...there are a number of persons who have used this kind of thing to make money, Bogle was a leading exponent of that practice - of using your creative skills to earn money," McKenzie says. "As the music industry becomes increasingly visual, with the emphasis on music visuals and stuff, then the element of dancing becomes more critical and a number of artistes are using dancers to supplement their live presentations."
Recently crowned Stone Love 'Dancer of the Year, Sample, one half of the group Sample Six, which also includes his brother 'Scotty', states that dancing presents a good financial opportunity.
"The biggest money whe me hold inna life, ah dancing mek me get it and den mi si seh ah nuh joke thing cause mi used to see it as joke ting," reasons Sample.
Many of these young emerging dancers and dance groups, not only see the financial side, they also see it as a much-needed distraction from the crime and violence which plagues Jamaica and the inner-cities in particular. Kadillac Dancers, winners of Stone Love's 'dancing group of the year', states that not only does the dancing help inner-city children to go beyond violence-plagued communities, it also provides motivation for others.
"We from the ghetto and is bare war and crime and dem tings deh," says Howie(one of four-man group). "So we just a try motivate we self, try to be a role model, and just try to encourage people to stop the war and try be like us."
Kadillac Dancers indicated that they have a variety of new dances lined up for 2006 such as hot it up, revenge, wilma and paradise. Sample states that his group also has a variety of dances which will be introduced in the near future, and believes that one in particular, Swing it Deh, will create a stir.
There are also a number of female dance groups. One such group is DKSquared; they have been creating a stir with their innovative choreography and signature moves. DKSquared -Donnia, Kerida and Kerisha - emerged at a Sean Paul competition in which they placed third, and since then have received substantial support in the entertainment industry.
Dance Theatre Expressions, while not limited to dancing, also figures heavily for their slickly choreography. DK2 member, Kerida, told the Observer that despite the heavy competition from other dancers, she believes that her group will have sustainability.
"Right now, you have alot of dance groups coming out...everybody is out there wanting to dance so it's very competitive but at the same time fun and enjoyable," Kerida says. "I think if that if you know what you want to do, you can (always) succeed at what you are doing."
Direct Link to the source: www.jamaicanobserver.com |
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Posted by: Culture Wise
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