Toppa Top 10: Dancehall Dances of the Decade

Words by Jesse Serwer, as determined by Kendell “H1st0ry” Hinds

The 2000s was the decade when the dancers took over dancehall, and dance steps became, arguably, just as important as the music. Hit after hit capitalized on their popularity. Artists like Elephant Man and Voicemail involved choreographers in their creative process, working side by side to develop songs and dances that fed off of one another symbiotically. The icon who loomed largest over the era was not a singer or a deejay but the late Gerald “Bogle” Levy, aka Mr. Wacky, sidekick to Beenie Man and inventor of the Bogle, World Dance and Wacky Dip. Dancers even became artists themselves. And in the most visible global display of Jamaican culture in years, Usain Bolt brought Nuh Linga and Gully Creepa to the Olympics. In an effort to do this phenomenon justice, we consulted with H1st0ry of NYC’s BlackGold dancers for a list of the decade’s top steps.*

*Based on the following criteria: 1) “Which moves did I have the most fun doing?” 2) “How often do I end up doing this move in a party?” 3) “If someone mentions the name of any of these dances I can do it without thinking or remembering how to.”

10. Nuh Behavior

The Voicemail tune of the same name outlines the basics of this Ovamarz-crafted sequel to Nuh Linga: “Swing your hand across your body, then move your shoulder/Then you step forward and start Nuh Behavior…One hand forward, like you’re making a fist/Then you step two times, lean back then twist/Swing with it!”

9. Nuh Linga

Ovamarz, Ding Dong’s former compatriot in the Ravers Clavers crew, devised this step, another Usain favorite and Elephant Man hit, which involves a lot of upper-body movement, foot sweeping and finger snapping.

8. Skip to My Lu

Ding Dong continued his dancefloor domination by popularizing this step—bend your knees, get low to the floor then skip side to side—with an assist from Serani.

7. Gully Creepa

Devised by the late Ice, championed by Elephant Man and immortalized by Usain, the Gully Creepa imagines the movements of a devious figure creeping his way through one of Kingston’s treacherous gullies. Basically, use one foot like a roller, while moving your back and shoulder, twist your face up in a knot, like you’re about to do something sneaky, and creep forward to the beat, changing to the opposite foot. Creep your way upwards, then forward, putting yourself into it more like the terrain is getting tougher, then creep backwards.

6. Badman Forward, Badman Pull Up

Playing the dual role of choreographer and artist, Bogle disciple Ding Dong gave dancehall its answer to getting crunk. This move basically involves a lot of aggressive skipping and knee lifting, the latter always in rhythm with the lyrical pattern. Or just do your best Takuza impression (See video).

5. Keeping it Jiggy

Another Bogle invention, this one involves bending your knees and leaning back from the hip up.

4. Tek Weh Yuh Self

Though it can be done done numerous ways, Tek Weh Yuhself involves tapping one’s left, then right heel, and slightly bouncing in the air as you rebound. “Your arms are usually crossed and your shoulders will slightly go up on every tap,” H!st0ry says. “After the tap gets back to the leg you started with, bring the opposite leg behind the starting leg with a steady bounce towards the leg you started with.”

3. Pon Di River

Done by leaning back, then kicking your foot forward while bringing the opposite hand in (As the host of How Fi Dance Reggae puts it, “It’s sort of like what the Rockettes do in a chorus line, except you don’t kick up your foot all the way”), this dance is generally followed in sequence by Down Di Flank (Hop on one foot, skip side to side, propelling yourself with your arms and/or waist) and Give Dem A Run (A four-step running motion).

1 (and 2) Willie Bounce/ Wacky Dip

Elephant Man’s 2005 Bogle tribute “Willie Bounce” exhorted dancers through two of Wacky’s signature moves in a single, interrelated sequence. We can’t put it any better than Ele himself: “Alright, bring yuh hand dem gwaan like yuh mad/Then yuh double di double, double di out and bad/Look left, look right, swing yuh hand like yuh bad/Like yuh mad then yuh double, di double, double di out and bad…Walk with it, mek up yuh face like yuh get rob/ Then yuh double di double, double di out and bad/Alright stop… mek a pose… tek a sip shake yuh foot start do the dip…”

Honorebel Mention:

Screechie. There don’t seem to be videos of this step online, but it’s H1st0ry’s personal favorite so we had him break it down: “Switch the weight of your feet from left to right while placing your arms in different positions and doing different level changes, like grabbing your shirt, putting your arms straight in the air diagonally or horizontally, while [your’ knees are bent, leaning left to right, as if your were trying to catch your balance.”