It is with great pleasure that we announce our winner of Dancer of the Month for June 2015, CONWAY OCTOBER! Congratulations!
We spoke to Conway to find out a bit more about him and his dance.
Conway is 19 years old and grew up in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town.
Dance Society: What inspired you to first dance and what keeps you motivated now?
Conway October: Music was always in my family. My father and his father is and was musicians, my dad playing the drums and my grandad on the banjo/guitar. So music and rhythm flows through me and I doubt anyone with that much rhythm could express themselves anyway else, but through dance. Growing up with different musical influences also allowed me to express my dance through different avenues in example jazz, funk, soul, gospel, r&b, hip hop and classical just to name a few. I always knew I loved dancing. Ever since a young age my family would be the first to call me out at get togethers with Earth, Wind & Fire playing through the stereo. My passion for this art form keeps developing and growing day by day. What keeps me going is knowing I’ll be more expressive tomorrow than I was yesterday, if that makes sense haha. Also, knowing there’s someone out there who needs inspiring. And if my dance could liberate me from my stresses, I know it could do the same for them, even if it’s visually.
DS: How long have you been dancing/training for?
CO: I’ve been dancing all my life, since I could walk. I even have evidence on VHS Casette tapes, that in itself is a throwback haha. However I started dancing professionally at the age of 13 till the current day.
DS: What are some of your achievements thus far?
CO: I have yet to achieve even though I’ve achieved numerous amount of things, most of them out of my dancing career. I am still young and I have so much to learn as a dancer, especially from a competitive point of view.
DS: Typically, how many hours a week do you train/dance?
CO: Honestly, not as much as I should, but then again dance isn’t the only artistic avenue I express myself in so I like to balance the different genres. But on the real I feel that dance should never be forced, and I speak of experience when I say it’s the worst feeling thinking and dancing. In my opinion that isn’t dance at all. Dance should come from that one place only you know exists. That place of ‘innernism’. Which basically means that it’s just you, the passion and the music.
DS: Please mention the places you have trained and some of the dancers who trained you, or helped to train you.
CO: I had training in contemporary dance for 3 years at Jazzart Dance Theatre through their Saturday classes for students. I trained with Zip Zap Circus for about six months, but left because it didn’t fill me as much as dance did. Then I fell into hip hop and since then I’ve been to a few workshops in the scene and exchanged knowledge with the dancers locally in a numerous amount of genres, gigs and events. Mentioning names would be a very long list.
DS: If you could meet and train with any dancer in the world, who would it be and why?
CO: Ok, there’s a list, but top few would probably have to be RubberLegz but also all the members of Flying Steps, Cheerito, Mufasa, Remind, Neguin and Daniel “Cloud” Campos. Why? Because besides a passion for dance, the one thing these dancers have in common is originality and it goes on for days. Whenever watching them dance, it’s more than dance. It’s art. And that’s everything I strive towards in my own dance, originality and expressing myself through my interpretation of the music and my flexibility. I call it FLEXpression.
DS: Who is the dancer that inspires you the most?
CO: I’ve never been much of a “YouTuber”, even till this day I don’t know most dancers out there and too be honest I’m glad I’m not. My inspiration does come from dancers that I admire, yes, but not half as much as it comes from those long bus rides to town. I live in a city full of culture, diversity and warmth. Yes we have our downs, but what city doesn’t. I am inspired by everything I see, everyday. My surroundings, the architecture, the way the trees blow in the wind, peoples interactions with one another and so many other things. Those are but a few of many elements that inspire my movement a.k.a dance. Inspiration is everywhere, all you have to do is SEE it. The one dancer though, that does inspire me, would have to be Luke De Kock. His passion is driven and you can see it in his work. Really someone I admire a lot.
DS: In your opinion, what is the biggest problem with dance in South Africa?
CO: The heart. It isn’t there anymore. Too much labeling and titles being given and too little sharing, laughing, enjoying each other and just dancing. Cliques over everyone, which is so whack. Too much selective hype and hardly any unity. Selective support when it comes to events or even sessions. I love this scene so much, because it’s all we have. It’s not the biggest of scenes, and not everyone sees that. At the end of the day, the scene is cutting down trees without planting any new ones. I always hear the stories of how packed events were back in the day. What has changed? Why can’t events still be packed today? One word, support. It’s lacking and if it doesn’t pick up soon, I don’t know where we going to be in the years to come.
DS: Where do you see yourself in 10 years time, with reference to dance?
CO: I hate these questions lol. I try not to focus too much on the future, because it’s not in my control. What is in my control, however, is now and I’m going to secure tomorrow, today. But I see myself having had my fair share of traveling the world. Competing and judging. Definitely having a well established dance career behind me with a pocket full of experience that I can share with younger dancers when that time comes, or just anyone willing to learn and share.
DS: Could you please mention some tips/advice would like to give any other dancers who are on similar paths to you?
CO: My advice is just to always push yourself. And I don’t just mean physically, but artistically, mentally and spiritually. Find what makes you happy and focus on that. Always remember, what’s bad for your heart is good for your art. Keep your head up and always let your light shine.
DS: What is a slogan or saying that you believe in?
CO: Our Deepest Fear, by Marianne Williamson from ‘A Return to Love’. Once again there’s an entire list, but this one will suffice.
DS: Anything else you would like to mention?
CO: God is so Good. We fail Him daily, yet He still loved us so much to give His only son so we could be free. Therefore freedom is indeed a state of mind. Jesus loves you, be free.
Check out my Conway’s crew’s profile and page on Instagram (@sushipowerofficial) and Facebook – Sushi Power. For bookings you can mail them at sushipower90@gmail.com .
Also, keep an eye out for his page and YouTube channel dropping soon. You can also add him on Instagram, Twitter and snapchat @certainlyconway
A huge thank you and congratulations to Conway October for being our June 2015 Dancer of the Month!
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