You are reading a very first interview of a series of a international dancer interviews in Bubblin’ Blog! Welcome on board!
I proudly present you Nicky Trice, The Godzilla Boss from Rifical Team.
Who are you, and where do you come from?
I am Nicky Trice, the Godzilla Boss from Rifical Team. I come from Kingston, Jamaica, 59 1/2 Lyndhurst Road.
Why dancehall?
Dancehall is we, dancehall chose we. Growing up and seeing Mr. Wacky coming to our Hq (that is 59 1/2 Lyndhurst Rd.), he always tell us it’s all in the waist. As a little kid growing up seeing it, we got interested! So we start dancehall, too.
How did you start dancing?
I started around 2000 with Sri Lanka, Rahmus, TG, 1Don. We started with a boom box – it was like 123 step. 123 step was like old school vibes, which is nice vibes. Then it developed in us, day by day, saying that: Let’s do this!
Who taught you? Or was there somebody who made you so great?
Well, no one really taught us, it’s just that seeing Bogle (Mr.Wacky)coming on our Hq when we were like 12 years old, those times, it made it very interesting. Sri Lanka (Rifical Team leader) was real authentic dancehall dancer – he is the one who said: “Nicky Trice, let´s go, let´s do this. Go around there and watch this. And this is how it’s supposed to be done”. And then this is why Nicky Trice is here right now.
Is there anybody who you admire?
I admire Sri Lanka, I admire Gerald Levy (Mr. Bogle), I admire myself also. Yes and I admire Michael Jackson, not only because he was a pop artist but the dancing what he has done is Spiritual.
What is your dream? Where you want to reach?
My dream is that Rifical Team would become a company. We’d have studios, meaning in two ways – recording studio and dance studio. Yes, we see ourselves like a business dance group, not only street dancers but a world dancers.
Describe your normal day in Kingston
My days are ever spiritual! And spiritual means that I always have good vibes, good momentum, a jovial smile – that keeps my day going 100%.
So you wake up, what happens?
When I wake up, the first thing I do, I always have my music in my ears. Meaning, my music speaker always plays music. So if I’m sleeping, my music plays, when I wake up music plays. When I’m in the shower, I sing, I dance. When I wake up I go link up my friends at the Hq, we choreograph together, we dance – it is basically for us like we are made from a Boom box. Like we are born from that speaker box! (laughs!)
Hahaa, how would your mom like that answer?
Well, my mom, having me in her belly, she loved dancing. My dad loves dancing, my family loves dancing; so it’s in my genes. It’s in my blood. I just developed the dancing, they couldn’t do it like I’m doing it now. I get the opportunity to do it like I’m doing it now- and I’m loving it.
Is there any particular moment as a dancer that you are especially proud of?
Well, yes, as dancers we entered JCDC Reggae dance competition for the first time and we were the first dance group to win it, world wide. We are also the first dance group going to Reggae Sumfest perform live as dj/artist and dancers, like Michael Jackson! You got a big show called Jazz & Blues, where no dancer ever enter in their life and recently Rifical Team are the only dancers who entered the stage, in jacket and vests and all these fine clothes with Richie Stevenson and dance for the world. That was amazing! 2008 also it was a great moment with Sean Kingston when we first say Calm Dem Down (=introduced the dance called Calm Dem Down) and we were dancing as special guest dancers at his Bday Bash in Negril. That was really magnificent also.
Which is the biggest Rifical Team dance right now?
RRRRRRRR – Godzilla! No 1. The reason I say Godzilla is that, the first time Godzilla was done was in Russia XXXX city 2014. It got big and popular in Jamaica and world wide even before I even got back to Jamaica! I spent two weeks in Russia and meanwhile it became like number 1 dance, before you could even know. Apart from that we got Old Man Saw, and Old man saw is authentic dancehall. And we have Cheer fi di girls dem. But Godzilla…RRRRR.
Which is right now the tune (song), that when you hear it you just got to dance?
Richie Stephenson (known as Richie Stephens), all his songs, win the game. And Skateck movements, when you hear those, it’s like 90’s come back to your mind. When we say Skateck it means 90’s dance and we bring back the 90’s dance to reality. Yes, so when you here Richie Stephenson, the tempo, the beat, the melody, the vibes, from you hear that Rifical Team and even Richie Stephenson dance! Even you wanna dance! Then you have few songs like Mavado: My league, Voicemail: I wanna dance, Future Fambo and Nicky Trice: Godzilla, you got like Dexta Daps: Shabba madda pot. So you have lot of songs but when you hear about the Skateck Nation – WOW, you have to dance!
Is there anything you’d like to say about Finland now that you are here?
Well, Finland… Before I ever enter Finland gates, Finland was in Jamaica.
And Bubblin’ Breezes (Meri-Tuuli) was my first Finland girl I ever teach, actually I first European I teach. I used to teach high school kids and so but Sri Lanka was the one who fly out and teach international students. But my first international dance crew that I taught was the Bubblin’ girls (Bubblin’ Crew) from Finland. And now I’m in Finland, I’m loving it! I like the weather, even though it’s little chilly like Jamaica in December in Christmas time but it’s okay. People are jovial, they are nice, kind-hearted, the hospitality is nice, I feel like I’m in Jamaica – Finland is Jamaica right now. I’m in Jamaica bar right now and Wow! So, Finland is like part of Nicky’s home also. I love Finland!
Thank you Nicky for the interview and thank you for being here and teaching us, and most of all giving us lots of Spiritual vibes and strength to keep on going with dancehall in Finland!