A formally trained dancer in his native Canada, CJ Jackson admires the creativity of urban choreographers in Jamaica and the United States. The son of Jamaicans, he is taken with trailblazers and contemporary dancers who helped make dancehall a global brand. “The most fascinating thing, to me, about Jamaican dance culture is how the style of dancehall was developed.
Jamaican dance culture is very traditional, but also free,” he told the Jamaica Observer . “New school dancehall wouldn’t have been created if it wasn’t for the traditions of old school. However, at the same time, dancehall is such a free-form of art that mixing old school with modern styles created new school,” Jackson added.
“If it wasn’t for moves such as the Gully Creepa, Bogle, and World Dance , modern-day steps would have no foundation.” Jackson majored in commercial dance studies at George Brown College in Ontario. He has been a professional dancer for 10 years, appearing in television commercials promoting Samsung/Snapdragon, Aleve and Western Union.
He is currently lead dancer and choreographer for Canadian singer Megan Soo. Jackson directed the moves for the video to Michigesso , Soo’s pop-dancehall song with Jamaican deejay E-Dee. Last year, the trio visited Jamaica and checked out hot spots like Uptown Mondays, a popular stomping ground for trending artistes and dancers.
It was at similar mediums that introduced Jackson to Gerald “Bogle” Levy, the flamboyant dancer who is one of his biggest influences. Nineteen years after he was murdered in the Corporate Area, Bogle remains the gold standard for urban dance. Bogle’s association with dancehall artistes like Beenie Man and Buju Banton in the 1990s elevated his career even more.
CJ Jackson is keen to follow in his footsteps. “It would be an honour to work with artistes such as Valiant, Tommy Lee Sparta, Skillibeng, and Teejay. It would also be an honour to work with dancers such as Kaka Highflames, North Coast Boys, and Black Eagles,” he said.
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