Seven years ago a group of secondary schoolboys came together and formed a dance group then called “Skeldon High Boys”— a group that had limited exposure but still managed to compete and win several accolades for their school at the Annual Mashramani Dance competitions.
The group members at that time included Kitron Moore, Shane Charles, Trevon Hope, Akeem Jackson, Andrew Cambridge, Shaquile McPherson, Wayid Martin and Malando Welch, but with the lack of exposure and gigs, the group fell apart.
Most of the dancers who were versed in several dance routines left, but three dedicated members stayed. Today, the trio rebranded the group and it is now called “Unity Boyz” – one that has created quite a stir at the recently-held “I Am A Big Deal” Pageant at the Albion Sports Complex.
Shane Charles, Trevon Hope and Kitron Moore crossed all hurdles, stayed focused and did what they love the best – dance.
They have since recruited several members and even though, the group’s spirit has been daunted once again by the lack of exposure in the Ancient County, they are now seeking to spread their wings and hope to one day land themselves in an atmosphere where opportunities are endless.
Presently, the group is operating out of an apartment at Skeldon Day Care with eight energetic, talented and charismatic young men. The group meets on a weekly basis to rehearse their dance pieces in case they are called upon to perform.
The group performs several routines when called upon including “dubstep” and “tutting”, but could dance to several genres of music such as Chutney, Soca and Culture and if you insist, an R&B special would just put the icing on the cake.
Since their rebranding, Unity Boyz has performed at the “Nothing to Laugh About” show in Berbice and for the annual flag-raising ceremony in Corriverton.
However, while performing on stage, it is evitable that mistakes would be made, but due to their closely-knitted relationship, they quickly improvise and without anyone knowing, a new dance move is created with the same energy. This, the group believes, is one of their strong points.
When contacted to perform at the pageant, the members jumped upon the opportunity without any hesitation and thought that they had to do their best to impress since they were well aware that there would have been influential people at the event.
Now that they have performed exceptionally, they are confident that in five years, the group will not only be one of the most successful in Skeldon but will be well known throughout the country. They also aspire to be role models to the younger generation through dance.
In meeting that goal, financial support is much needed and as such, lack of resources such as dance attire and equipment remain a challenge. On the other hand, membership is somewhat limited since persons are often screened before acceptance.
The members look upon each other as an inspiration and with love for dance, they can conquer all challenges.
It is their belief that life is full of trials and tribulations and sometimes there is no one to turn to, but this does not dampen their spirits but rather motivates them to work harder. In the same breath, they agreed that all humans make mistakes, but these must be used a learning process to success.
