‘I’m addicted to African music, its just feels too good. So I always try to search for new songs, new artists… Trying to get more information about your culture and dance’

She is one of the most viewed dancers and choreographers on social media. Apart from other genres of music she has done justice to with her dance interpretations, Katerina and her Dancehall Funk brand choreograph more Nigerian songs better than anyone I have ever come in contact with despite the fact that she’s Russian. One needs to check out @dancehallfunk and Katerina91k on Instagram to get to the realization that she and her dancehall funk crew are both of the most authentic choreography brands right now on planet earth. I had a chat with her recently. Check it out:
Kindly take us through who you are and how you got into dancing?
My name is Katerina Troitskaya and I’m a dancer/choreographer from Moscow, Russia. As a kid I was very active (nothing changed by the way… lol), so my parents always tried to make me do different kinds of sports such as tennis, swimming, karate. But none of them lasted long till the day when my mother brought me to ballroom dance class. That’s how I started to dance. In 2 years I had to stop attending these classes as my partner decided to learn medicine but not dancing. But I think it was meant to be, because at the same time a new dancing studio opened next to my house. And that’s how I started to learn such dancing styles as hip-hop and house. So as a dancer I tried to travel more, to take different workshops from foreign choreographers. Then I discovered dancehall culture and few years ago African culture came to my life with my first teacher…lol. His name is C Joe, he’s from Lagos, but he was studying in Russia for a while. And one day I just accidentally came to his class. That’s how it all started.

You have done some fantastic choreography to some of the most successful songs from Nigerian artistes. How did you come in contact with those set of songs and some of the Nigerian dance moves you effortlessly pull off?

I’m addicted to African music, its just feels too good. So I always try to search for new songs, new artists… Trying to get more information about your culture and dance. And that’s how I got to know about few of your dance steps. But this music always gives me inspiration. And that’s how all my choreographers come to life.

Your dancehall funk brand is very popular on social media; what next for this brand?
We are searching for more dancers all over the world to get involved with Dancehall Funk. We call them “The fraternity”. And we simply want to perform around the world bringing people together through dance and Afro-Caribbean culture.

 There seems to be other people/dancers involved in the Dancehull Funk movement like we have seen in various videos. Tell us about them?

Yes, we have a few other amazing dancers and choreographers within the company and in different parts of the globe like Colombia, France, Russia, some parts of the US, and a few more in the making. They all are very different and talented. All of them are versatile dancers, but when we create together it seems so magical and everything just comes together naturally.

Words by Sesan Adeniji

Culled from Mystreetz Magazine