Caribbean Dance Choreographer La Shaun Prescott

Photo by Travis Magee

Dancer LaShaun Prescott has gone from government worker to a professional dancer/founder of dance company Elle NYTT.  The trinidadian native has toured with some of top musical performers such as Machel Montano and Pitbull (Members from Elle NYTT have also toured with Kes), while forming a dance company to solidify the educational of various dance forms (Modern, Ballet, Latin, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and of course Soca) in Trinidad through her company Elle NYTT. Now, currently based in New York City as she completes her Masters in Dance at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, she has decided to expand the performing arts company with a New York branch. With an Ailey-esque vision to solidify Caribbean dance genres, specifically Soca, as a respected art form Prescott talks candidly about her humble beginnings, challenges and the vision she’s bringing to life.

Photo by Sancho Francisco

How did you get started in dance?

I started in Trinidad with a dance company called Carol LaChapelle Dance Company. I started with modern dance and then dabbled in Ballet, Folk, Latin and Hip-Hop; being able to try different styles along the way. It helped me in terms of performance and choreography. At the time dance was just an extracurricular activity.

What you were on track to do?

I have a masters in Economics. I was working with the government of Trinidad & Tobago in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. I was an Industry Specialist responsible for entertainment, film and fashion. Carol had performances, but it wasn’t my profession. While at the ministry I realized that I didn’t want to be in an 8-4 job. I registered the dance company and taught my first modern class with 3 students!

I came up for school to do a masters in Dance at NYU Tisch school of the arts. As an international student I wasn’t allowed to work in my first year, so I started doing free Soca workshops at Mark Morris. They saw the class and asked if I would you be interested in teaching. I’m in my second year of school now and have one class a week that I see as my New York branch of the company. We have classes back home, they are being managed by my sister Halcyon Prescott and our operations manager Nichol Narwani. We have classes in Ballet, Modern, Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Soca and Latin.

What’s the difference between the NY and T&T company?

In New York I’m starting out new. In Trinidad we have two parts of the company where we have classes with different teachers and the performing company. We’ve had a number of performances in which we were called upon to perform, many with Machel Montano, Kes the Band and some other full dance productions. Ideally I would like to have the same model here in New York. We’ve been getting a lot of requests for people looking for performers (in New York); we’re putting the structure in place.

Photo by Joey Rosado

How are you balancing school, the company in Trinidad and launching a New York branch? What are some of the challenges?

It’s been challenging. When I was in Trinidad, I was there and able to be involved in everything. For example, we have a school show every year for 150 students and I’m not going to be able to be there this year. I can’t be in two places at the same time. But finishing my certification will help the school, so it’s for the greater good.

Switching from the choreographer’s hat to production hat, then working out all of the logistics and even while I’m doing that I’m thinking about a paper I have due for school. It’s hard to juggle. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

What is your vision for the company?

I’ve always been very inspired by the Alvin Ailey Dance company. He’s so well recognized around the world. My long term vision is to have the performing company in Trinidad and New York and take those performances and travel to Barbados, London, Toronto. I feel like that can happen because the Caribbean diaspora is so strong. We have so many Trinidadians in Toronto, London and so many Caribbean nationals in New York; we can lean upon that diaspora to come out and support what we’re doing. Soca dance (as an official dance genre) is only now being recognized here. Dancehall, originating in Jamaica, the classes are so popular here in New York and other places, I would like to be able to showcase that for Trinidad (with Soca). I feel like Soca dance can be showcased in a way that can be appreciated in the arts world and internationally through master classes, and performances.

What are some of the challenges on branding Soca dance form?

I’ve been doing the research to see how I could solidify that. I’ve looked heavily at Hip Hop music and dance evolving from Hip-Hop music. Now, people identify Hip Hop moves regardless of the music being danced to and that took a while. Dancehall music and dancehall dance are ahead of Soca in that sense. The music of dancehall is well identified, people know it so the dance follows the music. Soca music is not as popular, but I see it taking on that same trend. Soca artistes travel throughout the Caribbean with dancers, but in terms of taking it a step further to acknowledge dance as a separate dance form, I think it’s getting there. Even in my research I’ve found soca dance classes internationally; we all call them different things but  we have these little pockets all over the world that eventually would make a really strong statement.

Photo by Sancho Francisco

How has social media played part in expanding Elle NYTT?

Social media has played an important part, if not the most important role in contributing to the company’s success. We have really grown through using Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. I did it originally, but it became so time consuming. I can’t express how important it is to have that presence on Facebook and Youtube. It allowed for my first travel experience on my own strength when someone from Atlanta reached out to me to teach a class. Katherine does a really good job at keeping us at the forefront.

Who  inspires you?

Alvin Ailey, Prof Rex Nettleford (Jamaica National Dance Company) the way he was able to balance academics and culture. Very few people are art and business based; I find that people can’t always blend the two in that way, he has successfully done so.

Listening to now?

I don’t listen to the radio right now. I listen and download music to know what’s new to teach for my class, not because the radio is playing it over and over to get you to like the song. I like Bunji Garlin “Red Light District” and K. Rich “Go Down”, but it’s not just soca that I listen to, listening to other genres open up your aesthetic. Beethoven, Brahms, Philip Glass. I love house music!

Keep up with La Shaun and her dance company Elle NYTT on social media Facebook . Twitter and Instagram