(PULL QUOTE) “When I am relaxing, I dance. I dance for fun. I dance for work. When it comes to recreation, dance again. Dance, for me, was a way to express myself. It was very hard for me to express myself and I found it easy by dancing. So I dance to escape my problems, I dance to express my feelings, my emotions. So dance is an escape from personal problems. It was an escape from everything that was wrong in my life.”-Lynn medford
MEET young and talented Lynn Ann Medford who has managed to achieve quite a lot in her life so far and whose biggest passion is dancing. In fact, she hopes to someday be in a position to help Guyanese dancers to become internationally recognised. And actually In fact, there is an Enigma Line in Guyana. Apart from the dance company, she has Enigma Fashion and Enigma Entertainment.Lynn, also a dance choreographer/dance teacher, is also into fashion and modelling. The height of her modelling career was her shoot for the prestigious Armani Brand in London. She has also done costume modelling for Carnival Spectacular, a Latin American group.

The peak of her dancing career was choreographing for the London Olympics in 2012 and carnivals held there. She has also performed for the Mayor of London and did all of this while she was four months pregnant.
She has also done a crash course in choreography in London and has been working with the Lion King Theatre for a few months and therefore has a bit of theatrical experience too.
Lynn was born in New Amsterdam but eventually moved to Linden before coming to Ruimveldt in Georgetown to spend most of her life.
She spent a year at Liana Nursery School in 1991, and went to St. Pius Primary from 1992-1998. She then secured a place at St. John’s College and spent the next five years there before moving on to the University of Guyana where she started law studies but didn’t complete it.
Her passion changed from wanting to become a lawyer and so she is currently a scholarship student at the university doing tourism.
“My ultimate goal was to become a lawyer but that perspective has changed. I am more into humanitarian work. I like working with children and I am very passionate about my environment and keeping it safe and healthy. That’s why I chose to do tourism. But I plan on picking up back my law career later. I still like it but not as much as I enjoy the other things now,” she explained.
Lynn is also the Assistant Marketing Manager for BM Group, of which Kanuku Suites, the Angel Brand and Kunuku Tours come under.

DANCE TO ESCAPE
Lynn recalled that she was quite shy and introverted while growing up. She specifically remembers the time when she was walking home from school and a gentleman stopped her and offered some encouragement.

“He said he watches me every day when I pass and he asked me why I always walked with my head down. He told me I didn’t need to do that and that I was a beautiful black woman and that I needed to remember that. And from that point on, I don’t know if I wanted somebody to say that to me, but I somehow got the courage to start modelling, dancing and doing everything that got me to this stage.”
Dancing is like therapy for Lynn. “When I am relaxing, I dance. I dance for fun. I dance for work. When it comes to recreation, dance again. Dance, for me, was a way to express myself. It was very hard for me to express myself and I found it easy by dancing. So I dance to escape my problems, I dance to express my feelings, my emotions. So dance is an escape from personal problems. It was an escape from everything that was wrong in my life,” she declared.
She does contemporary, Latin, African, modern and Indian dancing, among other forms. She has also done a bit of classical ballet, she said.
Lynn said she would really like to see dance go to another level in Guyana. “Most dancers are taken for granted here. Guyanese dancers are so talented but they never get the opportunity. So I would like to see us stepping up in that arena.”

VERY PROUD
Lynn said she is very proud of all that she has managed to achieve in her life so far as many are not fortunate to be presented with opportunities to accomplish what they want.

“It’s about being calm and focused and knowing where you want to go and finding avenues to get there. I really don’t have regrets because whatever glitches I had, I see them as stepping stones to getting where I am today. So you have to know yourself and know where you are heading. Stay focused and be confident,” she advised.
She said she was blessed with encouraging parents, Leon and Sharon and supportive siblings Shonette, Ophetia, Lionel, Anthony and Ryan.
Lynn is engaged to British born Alex Groppie and they have a one-year old son-Alonzo.
Written By Telesha Ramnarine