We offer regular circus type performances at Anamaya. They generally include Aerial Silk Dance, Fire Dance, Salsa Dance, and sometimes Fire Eating, Singing and live music.

Roy Hamilton – fanning the fire of the African dance

Sunday | March 14, 2010 Picture Africa. Think about pulsating drumming – the pace slow, staccato, fast. Visualise scantily clad natives dancing frantically. And then there is Roy Hamilton, ‘The Jungle King’ – African fire-dancer, this week’s keeper of the heritage. Dancing is in his blood. Hamilton said he has been dancing before he was born, being the son of noted Kumina dancer ‘Mama Bogle’, who he claimed is a descendant of National Hero Paul Bogle.

His foray into fire-dancing started over 20 years ago when he was with Roseta. He was influenced by the artistry of a group member called Rico, a prolific fire-dancer. But while Rico was an inspiration, Hamilton wanted to put his own twists to the movements and spent time rehearsing them.

“When he finish a fire-dance I always take his fire sticks from him, and when I go in the sand, I design my own thing, saying this is what I would do if I am doing fire-dance,” he said. Now, the self-proclaimed rebel and ‘lion’ would like to visit Africa to participate in fire-dances. Read more about fire dancing in Jamaica…