The Dancer

The series ‘The Dancer’ focusses on the celebration of dance. In collaboration with dancehall dancer Ramario Chevoy and hair stylist Zateesha Barbour, we came together to create a celebration of culture. 

This series is cross referencing beyond just dance by merging influences of more historically traditional ways of hair and body-paint applications with the modern ways of digital documentation. Whereas the colours are dark and mysterious, it is in opposition to the clean bright backdrop and the roughly applied, bright paintwork. 

This juxtaposition creates a vibrant body of work that can be seen as both joyful and mysterious. A conscious decision challenging how traditional dance practices often have been portrayed as alienated otherness. 

The body of work is a celebration of heritage. The make-up and hair inspired by historically afro-centric beauty traditions, emphasises the spiritual and ritualistic qualities of dance. Much like the art of dancehall itself which often can be seen as a way of taking control over self-representation, this series is in a way offering to celebrate these ties between heritage, past, and future.

The movements are fluid and joyful, the colours are bold and graphic and the digital medium adds a pristine quality to it.