Jeneice Sankar, 12, explores passion for dance

One 12-year-old is dancing her way out of the pandemic.

Jeneice Sankar, of Barataria, said, “When I’m not doing my schoolwork or at lessons, I’m dancing.”

Jeneice is a standard five student of San Juan Presbyterian Primary School. She told Newsday Kids she felt ready and prepared to sit the SEA exam that took place last Thursday.

She lives with her mother and older brother and visits her father on the weekends. She is the second eldest of her three siblings.

When it comes to school work, she doesn’t have a favourite subject. Asked what her least favourite subject was, she said, “All.”

“Studying is boring but sometimes I find a way to make it more fun by using games.”

Jeneice always had a love for dancing. Her mother signed her up for Marcia Charles’ dance school when she was three after noticing her love for dance and movement. She continued dancing at the school until the pandemic started in March 2020.

She later joined the Spirits Dance Academy where her dance classes were held virtually.

To prepare for her virtual dance class, Jeneice and her mother rearranged their living room to make enough space for her moves. Though the pandemic hasn’t stopped her from dancing she is looking forward to going back out to physical classes.

“Online dance class has been good but difficult at times because it’s hard to get the moves right without help. Then there are internet connectivity problems.

“But I’m vaccinated now so hopefully I’ll be able to go back to physical class soon and I’ll understand most of the movements.”

Jeneice has danced at many functions including Carifesta in Barbados, San Fest and several private functions. While she specialises in hip hop, modern dance, ballet and pom, her favourite is hip hop.

“I like hip hop the most because it’s more relaxed.”

Her favourite song to dance to is Dingolay by Nailah Blackman and her favourite dance move is a toe-touch because it involves jumping.

Asked how she deals with stage jitters, she said, “I never get stage-fright.”

Jeneice is also a child rights ambassador.

“Being a child rights ambassador is basically making videos and posting them online to let children know it’s ok to say how you feel once you’re not saying it rudely. It’s about letting children know they have a right to say and express how they feel and how they do in school.”

When it comes to her future career:

“I wanted to be a teacher, but now I see how hard it is. So I’m not really sure what I want to be, but I think I’m sticking with being a teacher.”

On making friends through dance, she said she hasn’t made any at her new dance school because it’s online but has friends that she made at her previous dance school before the pandemic started.

Her advice to young people who want to embrace dance is, “Relax, even if someone doesn’t like your dance. It’s ok, just remember you’re doing it for yourself. Still do what you do because at the end of the day you are doing it for yourself not other people. You have to make yourself happy, not others happy by doing something they like. Go out there and do what you know is your best, just make sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to do.”