The ‘Dancehall Professor’ Orville hall is known
for his specific brand of dance culture. His electrifying dance choreographies
are known worldwide as he has made it his sole responsibility to take dancehall
to the world. As creative as he is a dancer, he is just as creative as a director.
“I am currently working on a restaging of From
Then Till Now as we have plans to relaunch the musical. Other than that,
Schampagne Popping is still showing at the Barracks Theatre in Kingston and the
response from the audience has been great. It shows on Saturdays and Sundays at
8 pm. I will be having a special benefit concert on Nov 3.” Tickets for the show are available at the
theatre which is located on Molynes road.
The play tells the story of a team of
call-centre agents trying to make ends meet while dealing with the stress of
the job, and the temptations to go a different path that stem from it.
Orville Hall says his goal for dancehall
is for it to be taught as a part of the main curriculum for schools. he
expressed that dancehall will only be truly integrated in the Jamaican society
when students are taught how to play dancehall music and what root plays are. “People
used to think of root plays as being derogatory... so you find that writers shy
away from doing them,” he explained briefly.
With over 19 years of history, the dance icon
recalls his three most historic memories,“ well my the three most
memorable historic moments for me would be starting the first dancehall dance
studio in Jamaica. For me, that is a very historic moment. The second would be
getting the first dancehall course accredited at Excelsior Community College
and finally, writing the first dancehall musical and being nominated for 16
awards for that musical which we won 6 out of the total nomination. The
production was From Then Till Now.”
