“On many an occasion when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists,” the late pop icon Michael Jackson once said – a feeling that Annalise Seepaul and Jamila McKenzie live every time they get on stage in the many years they have been dancing professionally.

Twenty-three-year-old Seepaul, and McKenzie, 30, have had those sacred moments on the International Soca Monarch stage multiple times.

They have performed at other events and were featured in music videos alongside local and regional artistes among them Machel Montano, Aaron “Voice” St Louis, Darryl “Farmer Nappy” Henry, Nailah Blackman, Olatunji Yearwood, Damian Marvay, Destra Garcia, Erphann Alves, Nadia Batson, Teddyson John, and Patrice Roberts.

Now, the two women are getting ready to teach others to soar with the launch their own dance school, Golden X Entertainment.

“We decided on ‘X’ because of its infinite possibilities. There is no limit to its value and that is what we want to give to the school and those who attend our classes…But it won’t just be teaching. We will also offer production, directing of music videos, choreography and stage presentations.” McKenzie told WMN.

“It will be a school and agency. The plan really is to leverage on the experience and contacts we would have gained over the years.”

They are aiming to launch in mid-February.

“It was supposed to be sooner, but we experienced a couple delays earlier on in the year,” Seepaul said.

[caption id="attachment_935855" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Annalise Seepaul teaches urban dance mixing hip hop and femme styles. -[/caption]

The plan for now is to use available studio spaces in Port of Spain and in the east until they are able to get their own space. They will offer classes in hip hop, contemporary, afrobeat, folk, and a beginners’ introduction to dance and movement.

Seepaul is a graduate of the University of TT with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in the Performing Arts with a specialisation in dance, and a focus on choreography and teaching.

McKenzie is an alumna of UWI St Augustine and the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business, and holds a BSc in management studies and a master’s degree in international business development and innovation.

She is a member of the Elle InfiniTT dance company.

“I always knew I wanted to dance, but didn’t take it seriously until I was in form three at Bishop Anstey High School East. From then I knew my degree was going to be in dance,” Seepaul told WMN.

“Right now I teach urban dance, which is a mixture of hip and hop and femme – a feminine and sexy style of hip hop. I do classes at Xtreme Dance Academy in Port of Spain. I’ve been teaching for two years on and off, this is first year that I’m teaching consistently," she said.

McKenzie started her professional dance journey with Elle over ten years ago, but said opportunities also came from other da