Shamara ‘Inspire’ Spencer’s ‘Hot Gyal Summer’

Dancehall has not only been a staple in Jamaican culture, it has also been one of the main vehicles and avenues for growth, development and the uplifting of people from yard to foreign. Today, it seems as if women are the driving force in dancehall culture, intentionally disrupting the scene in an effort to showcase their talents by leveraging creative skills and collaboration in a male-dominated industry.

At the forefront is Shamara ‘Inspire’ Spencer, a rising Jamaican choreographer and Creative Director who has choreographed and danced for major artistes such as Protoje, Sean Paul, Jada Kingdom, Afro B, Jaz Elise and more.

Recently, she developed the concept of “Hot Gyal Summer” – a dance video project that also highlights household Jamaican names such as KimikoVersatile (who was recently featured in Netflix’s docuseries “Move”) as well as Tara “Tehrebel” Price (who was part of the cast for the Lion King UK Tour) and more.

“This project came from a dream of showcasing all aspects of female talent that exists within the industry, specifically dance,” Inspire shared with DancehallMag, via email. “Women in dance/dancehall are oftentimes asked to gyrate or shake, but they are capable of so much more. Foreign directors and dancers have taken dancehall and shown the world what they have interpreted it to be. I wanted to show our women and talent from a female and authentic Jamaican perspective. I focused on using old school riddim or songs from the 90s and early 2000s and adding a modern twist to them to honor the past but acknowledge the present. The perfect blend of old and new! At the end I wanted to show the women doing a more structured routine to make the world aware that we aren’t only known for good vibes and explosive dancing, we can learn choreography and execute it.”

You can pree the Hot Gyal Summer video project above and dig into our conversation below for even more inspiration.

Your name is literally Inspire, so we have to ask: What inspired the Hot Gyal Summer project?

I have always wanted to do a project with an all-female cast and a female production team. This project was inspired by the need for us to show dance/dancehall from a Jamaican perspective. We constantly have foreign directors and choreographers use our culture for their projects without even coming to the source. They show the world just a few things that they know about us, whining, head top, bubbling and gun fingers. Which are all important aspects of our culture but that is not all that exists. We are capable of doing so much more, ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern etc.

Female dancers are usually shown as just sexy props and I wanted to highlight that we are multifaceted. The theme for the project was inspired by Timberlee’s hit single “bubble like soup”

You mixed a lot of 90s dancehall and even some hip hop (shout out to Jamaica’s own Notorious BIG) in the Hot Gyal Summer. What do you think was so powerful about that era of music, dancing and style?

Growing up I paid close attention to riddims. I wake always mesmerized by the 90s dancehall riddims especially given that multiple artists used to juggle on one riddim. Even the fact that hip hop originated from our very own dancehall it’s important for us to embrace all things that were birthed from us. When I think of old school music, I think of feelings. When I was curating the list of music I wanted to ensure that each song made me feel a particular way and brought back memories of key moments in a party, high school or just a family or roadside function. I wanted to feel how I felt growing up and hearing these songs.

How do you feel dancehall dancing and culture has evolved since you first got in the game?

The music has changed over the years and once the music changes so will our movement. I’m actually extremely new to the industry in a professional setting. I started out in the industry in 2018 when I returned to Jamaica after studying at the University of South Florida in Tampa (studied economics and finance).
But growing up from what I could have seen, the industry was far more male-dominated and I can see more females stepping out and uniting. I’m excited to have done a project that represents that unification, especially unity amongst street and studio dancers.

Spice’s dancers recently went viral and were praised for their appearance at Cardi B’s Passa Passa. How does that make you feel as a dancer and choreographer about the future of the industry?

I think for quite some time Spice has been putting Jamaican female dance and choreography at the forefront and I love to see it! So even before cardi’s party Jamaican dancers have been going viral and dancehall culture has been at the center of viral dance music videos for over a decade, CREDIT is what we need. The industry still has a lot to do where that is concerned.

You worked on some very visually creative projects. What is the relationship between dance and art, for you?

Dance and art are one in the same. Dance is art combined with movement, time, space and emotion. I try to show a bit of what I am thinking or feeling inside when I hear a particular song. To create an independent dance visual you have to play the role of all artists. Carefully selecting colors like a painter, costumes like a stylist/designer, music selection and more. I get the chance to curate something that is 100% true to what I’m feeling or what I want to say! I love that I can do that through movement.

What can we expect next from Inspire?

To be honest, growth. That’s it! Nothing else! I can’t give a solid answer to that question because I myself am not trying to put limitations on my dreams or goals, I want to experience growth and that’s all anyone should expect.

I definitely want to explore more of my talents and provoke thoughts, inspire change and give people something that makes them tap into their emotions.

You just have to stay tuned