Creativity, innovation, skill, those are the words that come to mind when you think of the Gregory Park Dancers. For the dancers, it all came about one night when Rohan Williams aka Andy and his frien Ocon McCollin aka Down were hanging out at a gas station in the inner city, Independence City. The two dancers were showing off their skills when Christopher Burrell aka MC Nail walked up and saw them. Nail thought they were pretty good and issued a challenge to take them on in a dancing contest. This resulted ina stalemate as both parties did well, so MC Nail suggested that they team up and form a dance group. Derrick Lewis another resident of Gregory Park also joined the dancers.
The following week they asked the principal of the Gregory Park All Age School if they could use one of their classrooms to train. Miss Jackson, a teacher at the school, encouraged the boys to enter the J.C.D.C. contest. In 1990 the Gregory Park Dancers acted on her advice and entered, the result, they danced their way into the gold medal. For the next two years the dancers proved that their winning the gold medal was no fluke as they captured the medal again and again.
The St Catherine born dancers started doing shows on the North Coast, where they performed at Club Inferno, falcon Crest Hotel and carib Inn. In between doing shows on the North Coast the dancers entered and won the Teens Dance Fever Contest, and as Andy puts it "A we control the teen business from ever since."
The Gregory Park Dancers soon caught the attention of Earlton Clarke. He was impressed with the young men's style and mastery of teh stage. The dancers have ever since wowed New yorkers at the Jamrock Club in Long Island, Club Liguanea and the Tamika Reggae Awards where the gave a sterling perormance. Although dancing was their first love, the dancers make sure they have a 'back up.' When they are not sending pulses soaring with their delightful moves, Andy and Down are busy around their sewing machines filling orders, while Derrick Lewis paints and MC Nail deejays.
The group is presently in training for their US tour. Two females have now joined the group and the are busy working on some new dances, some of which include the Helicopter Dance, Human Skip, Bad Spin, Stretcher dance, Aerobic Bend and the latest reggae moves. Manager Earlton Clarke is thrilled with the group and as he says "My biggest aim right now for the dancers is to ge them as many shows in the US as possible." he is also hoping that the group will be able to perform at Reggae Sumfest during the band change - as he thinks it would be a great way to allow patrons to wait for the next band to take the stand.
