Sharing his love

Dancer begins teaching craft to anyone willing to learn

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Incorporating various dance styles, dancer Schoy Stewart has started a class to share his love for his craft.

Stewart, the founder of Infamous Dancers and former member of Shady Squad, said he started the dance class two weeks ago. At the class, which is called Dance Fusion, he teaches a number of genres.

"I mainly teach dancehall, hip-hop and soca fusion but we keep every class interesting. It makes you work out while having fun," Stewart told The Sunday Gleaner.

This 'fusion' comes from Stewart's many years of experience in dance, as well as those who have influenced him over the years.

"From a younger age, just seeing dance and music videos from people like Michael Jackson to Usher to Bogle to Sammy Davis Jr," he said.

After dancing at various events at the high school level, Stewart went on to dance with the Professional Move Dance Company. Later he enrolled at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

In his five years as a professional dancer, he said he has choreographed Tifa's Tinkie Winkie and Certified Diva which she did with Tami Chynn. He also did the choreography for Natalie Storm's Look Pon Me. He has appeared in music videos like Swaggin and Move Ya Body.

other work

In addition to those videos, he has done work with other artistes like Kes the Band, Wayne Marshall, Diana King, Denyque and Richie Loop. And, during his career, he has performed on stage shows like Reggae Sumfest, Sting, Youth View Awards and On The Verge.

Although he has a busy schedule as a dancer, Stewart said he felt the need to share his love for dancing with others.

"It mek sense because when you have an art form, you want to do something that you enjoy while making a living from it. I also like to share knowledge, and I enjoy teaching," he said, noting that he is versed in contemporary, jazz, hip hop and dancehall.

Since starting the class two weeks ago, Stewart said the response has been favourable.

"It's growing. I am doing some promotions and I have been getting positive feedback from it. I don't have a limit right now 'cause I just want a lot of people to come to the class. If it gets too big, we will introduce other days and we want to start doing classes in Portmore also," he told The Sunday Gleaner, adding that he has got requests for a children's class on Saturdays.

Located at Spectacular Dance Studio in Biggas Plaza, Liguanea, Stewart says he caters to teens and adults. Currently, the classes are held on Mondays and Thursdays between 5:30 and 7 p.m. There is now a promotional rate that will run until April 2 with each class costing $500, while the monthly rate is $3,800. After the promotion ends, the classes will cost $700 per day, $1,200 weekly and $5,200 per month.

Stewart can be contacted at 874-5601 or schoystewart@yahoo.com.