@NIJOWUPS-MY ROAD TO DETOUR DANCE CREW

JOHN NGUGI KAMAU

@nijowups: My name is john Ngugi Kamau, manager/patron and choreographer De’tour dance krew. I started detour dance crew alone from scratch but I can rest assure you it was a calling from God to make dance the alternative voice to speak his word-inspire , mentor and create hope through dance. I founded the crew in 2006 officially but I was dancing before that. prior to which I served in a flame fellowship where I was in charge of dance department in 2004-2005 Detour started in Gods hands then He placed it in my heart. my real calling, vision and prophecy though happened in different venues; one at xtreem weekend and the other in our main service Kahawa west Baptist church.God made it clear where he wanted me and the assignment to do dance differently(themed dances) was clear”

Laid back and very calm as he speaks Johny (as I usually call him) is a tough guy. He work constantly, consistently to be on top and that’s why talking to him is always insightful. He started a dancer and has survived the tough tides to become one of the most consistent dance leader I have come to know.

Why De'tour

The name detour means providing an alternative route to get to your destination which in this case is heaven. We perform dances that have a message in that our choice of songs and song arrangement in our mixes, though gospel, is unique and stands out.

We are a gospel dance crew based in kahawa west Baptist Church and started dancing in the year 2006. Since then we have won a few competitions which to us is just a reflection of the hard work we put in but most importantly that the God in us is appreciated through our performance because without Him you very well know this is not possible. 

2010 spa fest winners

2010 Talentmania winners

2011 spa fest winners

2012 mwafaka winners

2012 sakata dance show semi finalist

2013 sakata dance show quarter finalist

We are in a ship (DETOUR DANCE CREW) and we have the captain, vice captain, leaders and patron/managers as navigators. The other guys are the crew members on the ship. We have anchors ,life saver jackets ,the wheel and a lot more that help in the life, existence and stability of the ship. There also waves and ocean tides that derail us to a different course so we have to always make sure the ship is strong, fresh and re energized enough to stand and stay on course

DE'TOUR AT THE MR & MRS. NAZARENE UNIVERSITY 2014

I first met them during one of detour’s church concerts and I noticed they danced different. I mean their work can be seen in there dance, their thoughts and I must admit they are one of the crews who use props in every performance they do. Currently they are chasing the Spa fest title again and they are telling me they auditioned for the Dance unplugged showcase.

DANCE UNPLUGGED IV POSTER

2014-The year of unity

@Nijowups:We dance hip hop, expressive, African, house and salsa. We plan to create and expand our fanbase to be able to have the proper impact. We want to inspire people before they expire, give back to society and grow dance wise. Also unite Kahawa west dance crews.

what does dance mean to you?

Dance to me is an art that can take many forms of expression. Dance makes me feel I am serving and I am at home. Dance is action oriented and speaks, teaches and entertains just like the way they say a picture tells a thousand different stories, dance takes infinite form. Through its evolution from dancing full songs bila mix tapes or sound effects to the creative art it is right now .Dance is life, it tells a story- has an intro, body and conclusion. Dance makes life have meaning and heals. Dance Is heavenly created to bring happiness and love like David danced till his clothes fell off. Dance has no boundaries, dance does not have a religion, dance is not tribal, dance unites all -does not matter the age, race , location, rich, poor , dance creates and inspires.Dance makes life have meaning and it heals too.

we are seeing a lot of meaningless beefing!in its existence dance has created rivalries between crews and certain dancers.

@Nijowups: True!

What is wrong?

@Nijowups:A lot is being done wrongly. Lack of mentorship, lack of aunifying dance body to regulate the dance industry, dishonest leaders are just some of the factors that top the list. It does not make sense and we need to be united because we are not appreciating talent, we don’t have enough mentors and role models, lack of enough recognition, other artists and event managers taking advantage of dancers, we don’t have a regulatory body , we are divided and this being lead by dishonesty and lack of unity.

Is this why you want to unite Kahawa west dance crews?

@nijowups: one of the reasons why…

The others are?

@Nijowups: To help crews be professional, give away and teach what I know- to be all rounded and show them how  to deal with the corporate world, create a dance movement in kahawa west that will eventually affect others and have a dance body.

We ran a similar project last year to achieve the same and other projects of the same nature have been tried but have ended up not achieving. What do you want to do differently?

@Nijowups: start with the group leaders of every team, get to know why they dance because its useless if people are just dancing to kill time before they head to university and that’s why people did not buy our proposal because the dynamic of crew operations and individuals are different.so, I want to start from there, the problem was not what we proposed,the fact is not many crews have a vision, reason for dance , a time conscience , business development strategy  vs ministry  and a mature visionary leader.

Does this reflect into the whole dance industry or is the problem unique to kahawa west?

@Nijowups: that's a reflection of the dance industry in Kenya. Ask yourself how many dance crews have fallen? Both gospel and secular dance crews…unlike oversees people stop dance because of old age but in Kenya people dance to kill time then move to other more ‘serious’ careers thus making the turn over of dancers very high. This in effect kills consistence and experience.

Johny you are a great leader can’t wait to see you future projects.

Twitter: @nijowups, @detourkenya

Facebook :De'tour

Email:detourteam1@gmail.com

 

BE THE CHANGE

It was earlier said that pride comes before a fall and I also know that when you are on the highest point the only way remains is down. We live in a country where Lupita can run on a cover of a newspaper for two weeks. My boss says all is well and I nod in acknowledgement while inside I swallow a bitter pill because I know my bank account reflects torn papers if not coins dragged in grounds of excessive taxation vs low provision of social amenities. I choose to cut her short because its also true that, Kuishi kuingi ni kuona mengi- dance is power and an art that in small measures can cure killer diseases of social immorality and decadence. Great dancers are a disciplined lot, they work tirelessly to achieve a technic, they practice without fail, they listen and execute, persevere and push to the limit. It’s until they know the technic is right that they get creative, they challenge the known and within the limits set in the technic explore new movement challenging their predecessors. In Kenya we have as such a few dancers whose main aim is not to just dance but dance right…correct I mean.  I wonder why? I really do because within me I know there is real joy in doing it properly.

 

Probably we don’t have enough teachers, or we fall short of our leadership qualities that the art of passing it on-which is so proudly African-eludes us. We are so glued to making money rather than enjoying the job. We fight to support other art forms, be on TV airtime creating content in form of competitions because we feel its important to be seen. So important that we would rather be judged by unqualified judges, presenters chose of their celebrity status rather than their deep knowledge on dance-even the effort to gain a little knowledge. Consequently, the wrong crews are praised, hailed for their loyalty and boot licking. The real dance crews names are misspelled, mis-represented for not being flashy because their choreography is too intellect. Yes I am disgruntled and am wondering if something good would come out of this. It pains me to see so much resource go to waste while I sit and watch. This is my way of doing something.

 

Sited in a hotel with one Dj Slim Sufficient (CEO Swap Unit) sipping his tea tells me that in Kenya, Dance cartels are up and running and that’s why we see so little success in real dancers. Impostors are running away with the fame and money, the audience in its very innocent state is being fed with the wrong movement and as he continues to point this out I can’t help thinking of the amount of semi naked women our music videos prefer to talented movement. He says that if we don’t do something about it, dance will loose meaning. Real and well crafted movement will fade away-will disappear. I blink in fear and am speechless because I thought the fake always fades away. He smiles and am now confused, wakes from his seat and signs of, “there is hope”

"THERE IS HOPE"

What can we do?

BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS SEASON TWO

BRACE YOURSELF FOR ONE FIERCE BATTLE OF CHOREGRAPPHY

I should be thanking my Muslim brethren s for this day today, I mean Edi Mubarak was a well deserved break from my daily hustles to do something I like, blogging. It’s been a while and frankly, I think am loosing the touch and the zeal. It took me a while before I got excited for this.For a second I thought of ignoring my deep conviction to write, this for the record has never happened before and that’s why am caught up in this wave of emotions because today should be exciting, partly because of the news I bear  for you.

NO. OF DJ'S AT BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS

Last year I met a group of highly experienced, skillful team of youths that were so vibrant and energized to make a complete turn for dancers from their events. And so, I sat to listen, observed and engaged them plan a whole event that proved to be one of the dopest shows for dancers last year. yes its BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS SEASON ONE that made heads turn, audience scream and opened doors to crews like Platinum and the most acclaimed girl crew, Above Limit. It was ecstatic and though as Fred Wachira (Swap Unit Logistics Manager) explained it, a tough road, they pulled a crazy show, one of a kind show. The lighting was on point, selection of judges-wow professional, and the influx of Kenya celebs family could not be missed. Consequently this year I ventured to meet Fred Wachira, for a chat and when I asked him what Battle of the dance crews was all about he excitedly pointed out,

“we are dedicated to give a great stage, lighting, pull a large crowd and challenge for strong choreography-The ultimate battle of choreography and technique which will culminate in an event dubbed BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS SEASON TWO”

OFFICIAL BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS POSTER

The event is well structured and will test crews on eight areas surrounding dance as a performing art:

Choreography | Synchronization | Creativity | Props | Stage Utilization | Communication | Intro and Outro | Energy

Judges are real dancers, professional to be specific and well vetted. During a meeting between swap unit and the crews, dancers pointed out the need for a real stage for real dancers as they were challenged to produce value in their content. Daniel Maina, who is the CEO Swap Unit, urges fans to come and support their crews in this ultimate battle which will not only be on stage but on social media under the #BOTDC2 #givingyouthebest. 

NO. OF MC'S AT BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS

DANIEL MAINA: The experience we promise will be epic and definitely mind blowing, from the social media to the delivery of the event on 24^th August 2013 at Nairobi cinema. We have engaged the crews, we have talked to our staff to deliver nothing less than the very best and most importantly have made the tickets readily available and affordable (@ KHS. 150/=) to all for a show of a lifetime. We invite art lovers, dance gurus, poets, ladies, gentlemen, the old, the young and to simply sum it all up, all Kenyans,  to come celebrate this new heroes of our time In art.

THE MOTHER OF ALL EVENTS- BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS

Event Page: BATTLE OF THE DANCE CREWS (SEASON 2)

Twitter: @swapunit #givingthebest

Dancepeeps is selling tickets for the show kindly get in touch on our twitter and facebook. We will tweet the event live-join us though meanwhile get to tweeting and facebooking (that’s if this word is even legal) under the tag #BOTDC2