L’ANTOINETTE Stines, artistic director of L’Acadco dance group, is urging Jamaican entertainers to use professional dancers in their music videos.

She made the call at the Creative Industries Open Day at Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO) headquarters in St Andrew, last Wednesday.

Stines recalled going to New York some years ago to assist Grammy-winning dancehall artiste Shabba Ranks with a dance routine for a music video.

“They (producers) had three choreographers – one of Caribbean descent, one an African, and the other an American. They should be geniuses, right?” she asked.

Stines says Shabba was far from happy with their efforts.

“Artistes sell their home-grown talents short. Instead, seeking those with ‘accents’. We have students graduating from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts,” she said.

Karen Henry, head of Edna Manley School of Dance in St Andrew, agrees.

She points out that some dancers in Jamaican music videos do not complement the music.

“Look at Beyonce’s videos, you see that it’s trained, professional dancers. It’s the team that makes an artiste look good,” Henry said.

She stressed that the product must be respected.

“We have to take the steps to push Jamaica in the position it should be in. Jamaica to the world we say. We have to make it count!”

— Ceceila Campbell-Livingston