March 19th 2011
Ken Hardy’s Still Got That Soul
By Kendell “Scady” Eugene

Christylights Dance Academy Annual Summer Workshop ended last week with sensational performances from dance students. All students including the younger grouping displayed spectacular presentations. The small audience who attended the annual event was treated to a mixture of ballet, modern dance and Caribbean flavored movements. This year the workshop featured male dance tutors who added their unique dimension to the student’s knowledge of the art.
Director and tutor of the Christylights Dance Academy, Christine Samuel pointed out, that this year’s workshop reached its goals and further called on more male students to participate in dance. She further emphasized the importance of method in dance. “I wanted to branch out the workshop to every dance school in St.Lucia because everybody dances but not all of them have the required training that is needed as a dancer. Everybody wants to go the hotels and dance but technique and dance training is important. So all the people who feel that they can dance are limited to a lot of things because in order to reach the international market there must be technique.”
Miss Samuel further lauded the efforts of her well accomplished dancers, some of who are making waves on the international arena and are also making a name for themselves in the world of dance.

“Many of my dancers have done extremely well; for example a former student of mine, Darcel Frederick studied at York University; she has just completed her four year study. Moreover, a former student of mine just went to London to study theater arts. …So you see there are opportunities in dance. However not every student will go into it. In addition, there are two young students Nicole St. Coir and Leanne who just completed theater arts. They just completed their CXC’s in Theater Arts. These children are doing well and want to take up dance as a career, if not dance, they intend to pursue theater arts. So it is not a matter of just coming to a dance class there are plenty of opportunities on the island that students can take advantage of.”

But this hasn’t deterred his diligence. Hardy is set on becoming an artiste who is different and his hard work and dedication is already paying off. After all, not any artiste makes it to the top of The Wave’s Top Five at 5. One may remember the Souldreadz or even the ladies of Afrolyrix who all brought out a different style of performing spoken word and poetry that had not yet been done in St. Lucia. These acts can somewhat be credited to his leadership and guidance.

One would never believe that this young talented individual was born and raised in New Village. But that is the reality and he informed us that it was that very community that got him into the arts. Growing up hearing drums in his back yard and having cultural gems such as the late Athanasius Laborde (St. Lucia’s best drummer) influencing him it was easy to choose right from wrong.

He completed his studies at the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School and it was with that southern connection he developed a relationship with producer Sherwin “Dupes” Brice of House of Wax. Ken has performed at all of the popular bars on the Rodney Bay circuit which includes, Jungle, H20, Fire Grill, Delirious and his present home, The Fiddlers Grill.

He says right now he considers himself an underground artiste developing an album no one has ever done before. He isn’t driven by or caught up in the hype.

Discuss Story