Created: April 06, 2021, 8:00 AM
Rikkai Scott in his new dance film Tapout (photo supplied)
BDblaq dancers from left: Ayten Goksan, Rikkai Scott and Ashley Goosey in Tapout (photo included)
BDblaq dancers from left: Ayten Goksan, Rikkai Scott and Ashley Goosey in Tapout (photo included)
The Bermudian dancer Rikkai Scott in Bdblaq’s new dance film Tapout (photo included)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/DVGaE_b5PnA
Rikkai Scott weighed the possibilities for BDblaq Dance – and saw the future in film.
This is a path many companies are currently taking thanks to the restrictions that Covid-19 brings.
“Everyone is on the internet right now,” he said. “Everyone makes films. Everyone does dance stuff. We had to get around that. But we’re not here to compete. We are here to showcase our work. “
Tapout, the eight-minute dance film BDblaq, released in November, is part of that effort. Mr Scott and his team, Agata Olszewska, Ayten Goksan and Ashley Goosey were halfway there when the coronavirus pandemic hit and England went into lockdown.
“If you’re an artist, don’t take a break,” said the 30-year-old, who lives in Colchester, Essex and founded BDblaq in 2016. I just had to go with the flow. “
For six months they could only practice together online for three hours a week.
“We bounced off each other and trained as much as we could,” said Scott. “We did a lot of fitness, a lot of hip hop, and a lot of tap fusion, but we couldn’t really type because it’s a loud noise and I can’t teach that in my house.”
Besides that, he was busy at work at Savers, a local drugstore, from 5 a.m., teaching dance classes online.
When the restrictions eased somewhat in August, the group was able to get together to complete the film. They posted it on social media three months later.
“We have a good response to that,” said Mr. Scott. “People enjoyed it. We have received some messages of support from people in Bermuda. “
He is now waiting to find out from various festivals whether Tapout has been included in their programs.
This is followed by Watch This Space with Bermudian dancer Dawnita Smith, which the group released in 2016.
BDblaq is currently working on a third film with an English rapper named Hippy.
Originally from Bermuda, Scott moved to Amsterdam to join the de Kiss Moves Dance Company. He moved to England twelve years ago to look for bigger opportunities.
BDblaq took the stage for the Bermuda Festival of Performing Arts here in March last year, just before the start of the pandemic.
In England he teaches at DanceEast. Switching from in-person to online courses due to the pandemic has been more difficult than expected.
“The transition to online teaching was different,” he said. “It was a new challenge for me. I noticed that I really had to plan ahead.
“When you’re at home, it’s different. Even though you dance, you are alone and the atmosphere is different; You just woke up from your bed and need to go to a class. It’s a very different feeling. “
But he said it was a good challenge.
“I had a whole new group of students so I really had to adjust to their abilities and their abilities. I had to figure out how to do the best possible class. They have a group called Encore, which is made up of students who are over 40 years old. I had a few of these when the pandemic started. I also had students and a few underdogs. I had to adapt to their abilities. “
There are plans to travel to La Roche University in Pennsylvania for a week-long residency this month, where BDblaq will be making a 60-minute film highlighting the efforts of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and other tap dance pioneers.
“It’s personal to me because when I came to England I didn’t see any tap opportunities,” said Scott. “I wanted to raise awareness of tap dancing and how it has affected the world in terms of race, style, music and entertainment.”
During his stay in Pittsburgh, BDblaq will also hold workshops with the Bodiography Dance Company, a group led by Maria Caruso.
“I met her in Bermuda a few years ago when I was working with the Bermuda Civic Ballet,” said Scott. “I told her about the project and she invited me to Pittsburgh.”
He’s not particularly concerned about traveling to a city during the pandemic.
“Sure, it’s bad in the United States,” he said. “But it’s bad everywhere.”
For more information, follow BDBlaq Dance on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.bdblaqdance.co.uk
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