2 weeks ago
10
A sharp dancer, fast flips and tricks, always coming out on top in competitions and street battles – that’s how many may know Shakeem ‘Skitta Star’ Thomas today. Before the fame, before the big stages and local respect, he was just a young boy from Tavares Gardens, practising his moves in Kingston, inspired by the sounds around him and the dreams his family and films gave him. Dance found him early. He grew up watching his relatives move to music and soaked in every dance movie he could find such as Step Up, Dancing Dynamite and Stomp the Yard.
“Those things pulled me into dancing. From watching those movies, I wanted to dance like the dancers I used to see in the movies… and do it even better,” he said. What really gripped him was the idea of adaptability, being able to respond to any genre, any rhythm, any crowd. He speaks about dance with a kind of reverence – equal parts cultural memory and technical precision. That versatility shaped his identity as a dancer and deepened his appreciation for Jamaican dance culture.
“It’s a big difference now,” he explains. “Old school dances were like a 16-count, do the move eight times. They were slower, simpler, catchier for people of all ages. New school dances are more technical, more hyped. Now we tease the move, chop it up. Everything is fast and pumped up.”
Michael Jackson gave him that first buzz, and Raddy Rich helped shape his local flair. But it’s the rhythm of real life that’s had the biggest impact. “It allowed me to skilfully get around,” he says. Dance gave Skitta the tools to survive and thrive – how to network, how to adapt to different personalities, even how to present himself professionally. “It make[s] me more disciplined, like knowing you haffi be somewhere, at a certain time, to do your job.”
Still, the life of a Jamaican dancer is far from easy. “There are many challenges. You have to show up to shows, competitions, appearances, even when money short. Sometimes artistes will promise to pay dancers and they don’t follow through. Is a lot of styling that happen.” But even then, he shows up. Keeps dancing. Keeps building.
By day, he works as an entertainment coordinator at a hotel and plays steel pan with a company on the side. It might seem like a lot, but for Skitta, it’s all connected. “It’s easy to mesh the two crafts together.” On his days off, he doesn’t slow down. “Mi use my days off wisely,” he says, using that time to pour into his dance career. He doesn’t see dance as just a passion or a hobby. For him, it’s something much deeper. “It will be long term because dancing is in my blood, in my spirit,” he says. Still, he has his eyes on other dreams too, like opening a clothing store and building a brand beyond the stage.
While he’s had the chance to collaborate with many, Skitta is drawn to up-and-coming talents like Ky July, who reflect the same hunger he had starting out. His focus remains on growth, on impact, and on staying grounded. For him, Red Bull Dance Your Style 2023 was a turning point. “It taught me how to challenge myself, how to battle live and still be myself in front of a crowd. It strengthen me spiritually and give me wisdom towards the industry. If I was at 60 per cent before, it bring me up to at least 85, 90 per cent.” That momentum only grew after representing Jamaica in Germany. When he returned, there was a noticeable shift.
“People start approach mi fi work with them and build challenges for their music. It give mi a big boost.” For Skitta, real success isn’t just about individual wins. It’s about lifting each other up. “Unity is strength. We need unity to help each other out. If yuh see a bredda who weak in a area, help him out so him can build up and become better.”
His advice to dancers in this year’s Red Bull Dance Your Style competition is simple and honest. “No matter what, just be yourself to the fullest. You might see dancers who look stronger than you or get more crowd reaction, but still hold your composure and push out your effort. Be yourself throughout the entire competition. Don’t try be nobody else.”
English (US) ·