Local dancer lives by his passion for the arts

IT is with a practical and simple motto, “Practice makes perfect” that Kenrick Cheeks, a dancer, dance teacher, choreographer and martial arts practitioner, became successful as a promoter of arts and culture in Guyana due to his dedication over the years.

Cheeks has been dancing for more than 40 years. For as long as he can remember, he had ingrained talent as a dancer since his nursery school days and as he grew, he developed into an excellent performer whose dance movements are unlike any other.

“Dancing brings out the best in me. It helps me to cope in a chaotic world… in dance there are no boundaries and I love it,” he said.

Cheeks related that dance is an art form, and it gives the performer the option to express himself to the fullest. It is a language, and with clarified movements, you can communicate with people to bring peace and joy, he believes.

He added that for him, dancing is soothing for the soul, and it is something he cannot part with since it is part of his life and has moulded him into a humble, rounded person.

Cheeks told the Pepperpot Magazine that his mother passed away while his father is 80 years old and he is from a family of seven siblings. Three of his siblings live in Guyana while the others live abroad.

He pointed out that dancing is a lifetime investment of time, and you always have to practice to keep it alive.

Earlu beginnings

Cheeks is a ‘city boy’ born September 7, 1970. He attended Sacred Heart Primary School, where the teachers encouraged him to participate in the annual Mash Costume Parade after recognising his talent as a child.

He reported that he went on to Richard Ishmael Secondary School and was active in all the concerts the school had as a dancer. In secondary school, he was also an avid lawn tennis player, gifted in table tennis, and a karate student.

Cheeks recalled that he participated in Mass Games in 1982 while he was still in high school and became even more active in all forms of dancing, including break dance, street dance, and funk.

He remembered one day, while playing lawn tennis in the city, he heard African drumming and he was drawn to the sounds and he followed it and found the source of it. It was Edward Lashley (known popularly as Shaft).

Cheeks added that Lashley was the first person to teach him unorthodox African dancing at 17 years old and disclosed that he brought out a rhythm unlike any other form of dancing in him, and that vibe was so different, and he liked it. He stated that he later began participating in libations and other African cultural events and celebrations.

Cheeks told the Pepperpot Magazine that he debuted at the National School of Dance in 1987 with an advanced dance group. He noted that he had to leave dancing for a bit due to his need to earn and had a full-time job but began working with the Ministry of Education as an expeditor when a colleague who knew his ability in dancing got a dance teacher form for him to fill out after which he applied at Allied Arts.

It was then that he returned to the National School of Dance and Indian Cultural Centre (in 1999) and began exploring the possibilities of kathak dancing.

While there as a student, his abilities were recognised and he was offered a scholarship as a dancer/choreographer in India for five years. He left Guyana in 2001 and returned in 2006 as a qualified kathak, instruments, yoga, folk and classical dancer.

Cheeks, 53, told the Pepperpot Magazine that after a year he returned from India, he was offered to go visit the branches of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha across the country, mainly to Berbice, where he taught dancing.

It was during this time he met the Swami in charge of the Swami SVN Saraswati Vidya Niketan Private School at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara and was offered a job as a teacher of martial arts (karate) and kathak dancing, which was introduced into the curriculum.

From 2017, he taught Grades Seven to Nine after which he left for Canada. Upon his return, he taught at the School of the Nations as a physical education teacher for primary and secondary levels for five years.

He had performances both locally and overseas, and when we had clubs in Guyana, back in the days, he used to visit and would dance non-stop for hours.

Cheeks added that he is also a Level 1 Coach for the International Tennis Federation in Lawn Tennis Play 10 and a World 1 Coach in Archery Level 1. In martial arts, Cheeks is a 3rd Dan practitioner in Black Belt and an instructor at the private school where he teaches kathak.

“I love dancing, but these days my knees have been acting up, but it will not prevent me from doing what I love, and I will never stop dancing since it is the best part of my life,” Cheeks said.