Recently I was privileged to interview talented dancer Justin Poleon, who is now in Toronto, Canada, at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre pursuing a professional training degree programme.
Seeing Justin in motion was remarkable. Lean and magnetic, he sweated slightly and breathed heavily after performing a prodigious set of leaps. When Justin dances you are transported by the art form of his acting. He later told me the secret.
“I’m a bit of a method actor. You have to use your true feelings if you want to connect with the public. You cannot fake it. I use my feelings, my private life, my memories, my emotions, to feed my characters. I know when I have a bad performance because I haven’t felt it.”
There are a number of methods he uses to create movements. Sometimes it is just the music and the body does what it has to do – using the rhythm of the music to vibe to whatever emotion he may be feeling at the time; other times he lets the meaning of the dance take control in terms of the movements or he lets nature create movement, for example, watching animals move and tree branches swaying.
He likes to think outside the box because he sees himself as a creative vessel.
“I think the movements that are important are the ones that have the most meaning, whether they’re simple or minute or as large as a leap. I believe you should just let the movements take control; don’t hold them back.”
Justin grew up in Bank Hall, St Michael, and has been dancing since age eight but started seriously training only two years ago.
“From very young I always had a thing for being able to put body movement to sound and it really started there.
“As time went by, and I grew up, it became a passion and very dear to my heart. I can personally say that I don’t like dancing, I love dancing; it gives me the opportunity to express how I feel about issues.
“I love the stage so that’s another reason and when I dance I get away from life and enter a fantasy world of complete enjoyment that captures my full attention from whatever issues are going on in or around me.”
Justin tells me he loves dancing so much that he makes sure he is available for every Crop Over event to provide back-up for performing artistes.
He cites his best performances so far as NIFCA 2009’s The Institute and his solo piece for NIFCA last year entitled The Harsh Reality, which was based on the story of his life.
The gratifying feeling he got from expressing what needed to be said was a moment he treasured, Justin declared.
The dancer auditioned and was accepted to the Edna Manley School of Dance in Jamaica, but the opportunity to go to Canada to audition for the School of Toronto Dance Theatre came through his teachers at Louis Woodvine Dance Academy, Megan Navaro and Auntie Nikki.
“I worked my way to the audition in February of this year and went through the whole elimination process – which was nerve-wracking.
“When I returned home, the waiting period was even worse! Then one day I received the letter and I barely read the first line and started to scream and run around the house with excitement. My mum loved it,” he said laughing shyly.
“My parents Sylvester and Patricia Poleon have supported my dream from the beginning and they both do frequent my performances . . . even rehearsals from time to time.”
Another love important to Justin is cheerleading, an interest he has had since his days at The Lodge School (he transferred there from Louis Lynch). There is a production company called Trident Productions and the cheerleading aspect of the company is the baby of the project Trident Elite.
Two-time reigning national champions in their division, the team is going for gold next month at the regional cheerleading championships being hosted here in Barbados.
“Dance has taught me so much – from discipline back down to simple etiquette. It has taught me to push past the limits, to grow and basically be a better dancer and creative vessel.
“Dance allows me to think outside the box and to create outside the norm. It has prepared me mentally to be strong against any negativity that life may throw at me.”
He cites inspiration such as music, colour, relationships, life, breathing for his dancing and choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Sonya Tayeh, Merce Cunningham and Olivia Hall.
“They look beyond the barriers of the ordinary to create outstanding and memorable pieces of work and that is what motivates me to push myself to be a visionary just like them.”
He laments that facilities in Barbados are underdeveloped and do not allow artistes to exceed and grow to an international level. He believes the Errol Barrow Centre For Creative Imagination needs to expand its dance section.
Among his goals are to have his own arts school, to have a scholarship named after him and to receive an Emmy or Tony Award.