We The North Buxton - event recap

“We The North Buxton”

Event recap of the Buxton Annual Homecoming

Happy new year to you and yours!!!!!!!!!!!

Since the last time I wrote here, I hope you've been continuing to work towards your dreams, navigating obstacles as best you can, moving your body, and spreading kindness. You know I always set out to write a post here once every month; but man, 2023 required so much of me and as a result, my social media and blog took a hit. I ultimately stopped posting and focused on being present. What I managed to complete before December 31st was my monthly recaps on instagram. IF interested, here they are:

Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

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Now for this month’s blog! I am excited to share more about my trip to North Buxton, Ontario. There's no better time than Black History month! You see, from my brief visit to the town I was introduced to so much history and community that was rich in tradition, generational blessings, and BLACK culture. Yet, throughout all levels of my educational career, I never learned about the community before.

Located just after Chatham and right before Windsor Ontario, North Buxton is one of the largest and most successful settlement communities from the Underground Railroad. Many former American slaves who had gained freedom settled there and many of their descendants have remained till this day. Currently, over 50% of the population is Black.

To commemorate its rich history, the town hosts an annual Homecoming celebration where many descendants return home to honour their family legacies.

In September of 2023, the community celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Homecoming celebration. My company Carnival Spice was invited to perform during the event’s parade. The team and I had no idea what to expect. We just looked forward to an adventure ahead and were excited for this unique opportunity where we can share the spice.

Homecoming morning was arguably the hottest day of the year, and because it was a rural area with much farmland, the sun was beating down HARD. We embraced it and was excited to go down de road. I had the pleasure of being the MC on our music truck and the spice dancers showcased beautiful costumes and choreography.

You could feel the joy from the thousands that lined the streets. To many folks in the audience, carnival costumes and soca was a new experience for them; It was a beautiful exchange.

Once we completed the parade route, we were able to enjoy the fair afterward and spend time with folks in the town.

It felt like a big cookout filled with food, and basketball, dancing and true connection. We also learned that many of the attendees traveled from all over North America.

After covid, attendance for Homecoming had declined - so the 100th anniversary had to be extra special because many would return for this great milestone.

I loved seeing the families who wore matching t-shirts to showcase their family name. The pride was beaming and the Blackness shined bright throughout. I never thought l'd ever meet 5th, 6th, 7th and even 8th generation BLACK CANADIANS. Keep in, my family are immigrants from the Caribbean; so it was certainly a new experience for me to meet Black folks with such deep roots in this country.

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Thank you North Buxton for one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. The ancestral connection, Blackness, and joy will never leave me. Looking forward to returning again soon.

“Thank you once again for helping us celebrate out 100th Labour Day Homecoming celebration! It was absolutely amazing! And you guys were the hit of the parade and in the park!!!!”

— Shannon Prince

Shannon Prince retired as the Curator of the Buxton National Historic Site & Museum in December 2023, after 25 years of distinguished service. Shannon has received many awards and honours in recognition of extraordinary contributions, most recently she was appointed to the Order of Canada for exemplifying the Order’s motto: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“They desire a better country”). Her work has also earned her an honorary doctorate from the University of Windsor for her achievements. In January 2024, the Buxton Historical Society formally acknowledged Shannon's achievements on behalf of the museum, community, and country by appointing her as Curator Emeritus of the Buxton National Historic Site & Museum. (CONTINUE READING BIO)

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Carnival Spice Turns 10

Carnival Spice Turns 10

Event Recap of our Dine & Lime anniversary dinner

Y’all I have a 10 year old!!! Can you believe it? It’s still hard to wrap my head around the fact that a whole decade ago is when I stepped out on faith and began working towards bringing the ideas I had in my head to life. During that time I was determined to share my passion for dance, wellness and Caribbean carnival with the world.

Carnival Spice was launched in 2013 with an intention to bring movement to beautiful mas while also creating space for Black and Caribbean dance artists. The company has now become a global community that empowers artists of colour through training, mentorship and access to opportunities. Through our work, we are also able to educate the community at large about the history of the masquarade and the significance of Carnival in Caribbean culture. We have also unapologetically taken up space in front of a variety of different audiences; from the boardroom, to the classroom, from television to some of the biggest stages in Canada. Carnival Spice is known for it’s high level of energy, professionalism, and unique spin on presenting Caribbean Carnival arts.

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Dine and Lime

2023 will be a year filled with a series of events and activations in celebration of this wonderful milestone for Carnival Spice. We kicked things off on Sunday, June 11th with a Caribbean styled food inclusive event called DINE & LIME.

Dine and Lime was such a beautiful experience. There was so much love and support in the room with attendees being a mix of CS training and performance group members, friends, family and clients. It was so special meeting one our first wedding clients since the pandemic who shared the news with us that they are expecting their first child. Congrats to the Dhinganis!

The soca was pumping from the music styling of DJ Undacover and the food as expected was amazing. The Avenue is one of my favourite restaurants in the city so it meant a lot hosting the event there. We also debuted our BTS Documentary from our performance at the 2022 Blue Jays Caribbean Carnival.

Sokah On Di Road

In honour of our 10 year celebration, we will also be on the road as section leaders for Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Look for us decked out in orange, blue and pink in the section SOKAH with Suga Cayne mas. Any remaining costumes can be found here; but be sure to use code: “spicefam10” at checkout to receive a goodie bag from our team.  It was wonderful having dancers Kayla and Natalie showcase the costumes through a Carnival Spice dance routine.

Dine and Lime was quite special. Everyone in attendance really brought the spice. Thank you to Anthony Berot for capturing these beautiful photos and Malynne Allya Artistry for the make up work on the dancers and myself.

And a HUGE thank you to Siobhan, Kafi, and Jena for all your help with event logistics.

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The celebrations shall continue - so make sure you always have your dancing shoes ready. We still have so more in store!

Testimonial:

Toronto Raptors x GoDaddy Elevator Pitch Contest

Vote Carnival Spice in the Elevator Pitch Contest

by Toronto Raptors x GoDaddy

Toronto Famalay!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited to announce that I was one of three small business owners selected for the Toronto Raptors x GoDaddy Elevator Pitch contest. Calling on the community to vote for Carnival Spice and spread the word!! The winner of the contest will receive a $10,000 grant for their business.

What a beautiful way to commemorate 10 years of Carnival Spice. Thank you in advance for your support.

This one’s for the culture!!!!

To Vote:

▪️Download the Toronto Raptors App

▪️Tap the “Elevator Pitch” thumbnail
(could be found under the fan tab)

▪️Cast your vote for Carnival Spice

▪️Submit the requested information

▪️You can vote multiple times daily until May 31st (just refresh the app or voting page)

Voters will also have a chance to win Raptors tickets and free Godaddy services; so let’s spread the word!

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I must say that seeing my face float around in a Toronto Raptor’s commercial really fills my heart with so much joy for many reasons. As much as it is really to cool to showcase my wonderful company and represent for my culture … when I look back at many of the media and television work I have been blessed with, in all cases, I was able to be myself! Real Housewives of Atlanta, Auto Trader, Breakfast Television and beyond, Shakera showed up as Shakera and that is truly a gift I do not take for granted.

Did you know that my first professional dance audition was in 2011 for the Toronto Raptor’s Dance Pak? I never did make the team, but that experience truly changed the trajectory of my life in so many positive ways. From that audition, I was hired to dance for The Toronto Marlies where I trained with one of the best coaches in the game. The team even won the AHL championships that year!

“What is meant for you is meant for you!”

— I Samuel 16:1-13

I auditioned a few more times for the dance pak but was not successful in securing a spot. My final attempt saw me in the best shape of my life, the most confident, and most prepared I felt dance wise after training for months. I still I didn’t make the team - LOL! I didn’t tryout again after that. Not because I gave up, but because it was clear that God had other plans for me. Shortly after that audition, I completed my studies at Ryerson University (now known as TMU) receiving a Bachelors of Applied Science, and went on too start Carnival Spice in 2013. The rest is history.

Caribana Without The Parade

Caribana Without The Parade

Toronto Carnival 2020 Recap

Happy Toronto Carnival Weekend Everyone!

Wow - for the first time in YEARS we had no parade because of lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19. When this decision was announced in March I did not know how to feel. Disbelief was the most prevalent emotion.

Here’s the thing, Caribana without the parade is my pretty much my life. The work I do with Carnival Spice calls for me to be immersed in Caribbean Carnival 365 days a year so I did not think the cancellation would effect me greatly as it did. Kudos to all the promoters who offered alternatives to fill the void… I saw a Zoombana, Quaranbana and festival organizers even hosted a Virtual Road. I know this sounds terrible, but I chose to take a nice long nap on August 1st. I was completely overwhelmed with emotions and could not bring myself to do anything else. I did have a glass of wine and played some Voice to sooth my soul (add the song ”By Any Means” to your playlist). Although logistically, the parade itself can use a LOT of work, those who self identify as Caribbean or those who annually play mas feel a massive sense of pride in anticipation of this weekend. From revelling in the streets... to getting your hair/nails/lashes done and seeing your completed look carnival morning... to running into celebrities/friends/coworkers/exes etc on the road… to hearing YOUR SONG for the first time behind a big truck and going OFF… my song would have been anything on the “Yuh Bad” or “Caution” Riddim! The level of excitement is unmatched; arguably comparable to your wedding day or christmas morning…sigh..

To be clear though, the anticipation for Caribana weekend goes far beyond the fetes, costume pick up and walmart selling Caribbean based products at the front of the store. IT’S A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE, FREEDOM, UNITY, BLACKNESS, TOGETHERNESS, SOCA, FAMILY, FRIENDS, BODY-POSITIVITY, DANCEHALL, MAS, CHUTNEY, WELLNESS, LOVE, THE CARIBBEAN.

We Can’t Get Enough.

Even if you don’t play mas, it’s a weekend to just be proud and cultivate joy.  Most have celebrated this period from the were toddlers and hope to pass the traditions on to their children. 

Caribbean heritage and history is also deeply connected to the participation in Caribana weekend. The parade was gifted to Canada from Trinidad in 1967 and has grown to be one of the largest festivals in North America. The date of the festival also coincides with the the emancipation of enslaved people from Africa.

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Since I cannot share photos of myself taking a nap. Here are 5 Toronto Carnival Experiences I would like to highlight:

1995

Little Miss Shakera, always dancing… even at this age. My mom’s workplace at the time was a sponsor for the “Kiddies Carnival” (now called Junior Carnival) that took place in Little Jamaica on Eglinton West. The good ole days!

We were offered costumes the morning of but my mom had already picked out my outfit that’s why it does not match the costume! LOLOL… I remember this day like it was yesterday. I danced my little heart out.

Watch the pose; you could tell I meant business… was even featured on CITY PULSE… go figure.

2007

This was my first time playing mas as an adult. "Jamaicans don’t play mas” - or so I thought. During university, I met a trini dawlin, named Akeisha, who put me in a costume for the school’s talent show. I was SO shy that I wore the costume with black yoga pants. She then challenged me to play mas in Caribana that year- THE REST IS HISTORY.

I had no idea what I was doing but I still came hard. Matching shoes and bags; The shoes gave crazy blisters because the spray paint made them hard. The fabric on the bag was meant to be sprayed so the paint transferred on my skin! Lol. And are you seeing this eye make up? I believe this eye shadow that I had no idea how to apply cost about $40 and I used it once! The costume was made well though. I still have it and it is in perfect condition. The bra was 3x too big because I was scared of spillage. At the time I was a B cup, lol - the nerve!

2011

Back in these days when you modelled for a Toronto mas band, you could select any costume from the presentation to wear on the road. However, the costume I picked was the one I modelled since I fell in love with it the moment I put it on. It literally set the tone for the rest of this carnival season. This was my favourite Caribana to date. For the road, I even remember the song my section crossed the stage too: “ADVANTAGE” by Machel Montano. The stage was EPIC! Lost my rag, an eyelash and broke my purse. So glad I dismantled my headpiece and transformed it into a backpack for parade day. Everything was perfect and we were on the road for hours. I loved theme of the band too - we were different sea creatures. My section were the mermaids.

What solidified this magical experience happened the following morning. I woke up to the news that my photo was on the cover of the Toronto Star newspaper… and not just any photo... The photographer captured the euphoria I felt - crossing the judging stage!

2012

This pink costume was one of my faves to wear but I did not get many photos in it. I also paired it with nude fishnets before it was a trend in Toronto. Unfortunately this was not a good carnival year for me. I am sharing so you will take caution in the future. Scorching hot temperatures mixed with our band not having enough food and water led to me having extreme hit exhaustion. My symptoms were so bad that I had to leave the route early. Friends, although you have paid for food with your costume, do not rely on your band to feed you. Always have a hearty meal before you leave home. The day can be very unpredicatable and your safety is most important. Set yourself up for success. Ensure you are on top of hydration and vitamins leading up to the parade (and afterward of course.)

2016

This year was super fun. I worked a lot of promo events for the costume and did a lot of press with Carnival Spice. Plus, I had about 30 people from the #SpiceFam playing mas with me. Most were playing for the first time (something I cherish greatly). We were in different sections but arranged for everyone to be in the same band. It was also a year that I wore a wire bra for the first time. The ultimate highlight was two fold - one was performing for Kes the band and two was thiefin’ a wine on Kees on the road (member that Michelle???? Woyyyyy)

BONUS

Some 2020 Highlights:

As I was preparing to publish this blog I found out that Carnival Spice is trending #1 on TIK TOK via the #Caribana hashtag.

Pretty cool

You can also check out an interview I did with Kiss 92.5, Breakfast Television and the Toronto Festival Committee.

Breakfast Television: Moving in the Morning

https://youtu.be/Go7ZpURAiLE

Toronto Carnival Festival Committee

https://youtu.be/l53DvpbDaqw

Kiss 925 Interview

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMWVwwnd-q/

2019 in Review

2019 in Review

A reflection of one of the coolest years in my life.

It’s not how you start its how you finish… and I entered 2019 emotionally depleted. 

I had a choice though. I could either wallow in my feelings or SLAY THESE GOALS. Then boom, Queen Koffee releases one of the biggest reggae songs in history featuring lyrics that permeated my soul.  At the start of each year I select one word to help guide my intentions for the next 364 days. For 2019 my theme word was FORCE. It’s like Koffee knew my heart! She starts the song by singing: "Toast, yeah (mmh yeah), say we a come in wid a force, yeah, blessings we a reap pon we course inna hand full”…I still have “Toast” on heavy rotation. 

2019 was a great year for soca and dancehall too. Ding Dong released a slew of new dances. Elephant Man came back to the music scene. Oshane from the overload skankaz crew created the “celebration” dance that can be seen worldwide. I even taught the hosts of Breakfast Television how to do it on live TV. See here: https://youtu.be/SipdgozEda0?t=176 

Meanwhile a Grenadian (Mr.Killa) won the Trinidad soca monarch, Bunji, Machel, & Skinny united the Caribbean with “Famalay”, and Kes the band had yawdies chippin’ for a second year in a row with “Savannah Grass”. Speaking of which, 2019 gave me the space to do more creative work. Check out this beautiful music video I choreographed and directed https://youtu.be/ohj_Vg8mw0I . Shout out to Kes for sharing it to his instastories.

Guys! THE RAPTORS ARE THE 2019 NBA FLIPPING CHAMPIONS. This win was one of the best feelings ever. The fight, tenacity, and passion from the team was unmatched. AND THE FANS! Wow. The way everyone came together - filling the streets in their Raptors gear. Jurassic Park! The Celebration Parade! Gees. We are truly one of a kind. Big up @general_genius416 for having the whole city doing the #RaptorFoot. I’m so proud Toronto got to show the world how dope we were even with all the hate coming in from the outside. Rapchas to di world!!!! RIP Louie Rankin.

…and RIP Nipsey Hussle your legacy will live on. As an artist myself, I’m so inspired by the tremendous work you’ve done in so little time and how you’ve transformed your artistry into a vehicle for change.

Life really is precious. In 2019, I also watched two people dear to me fight for their lives. They both fought hard and are healing now but what a journey that has been. Giving God thanks for keeping them and reminding us to live purposeful, lead with love, and take care of our body, mind, and spirit as best as we can.

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Some of my personal favourite moments in 2019:

The Pink Party

This feels like a century ago. On Feb. 3rd at a small gathering with friends and family I hosted to the Pink Party. It was to celebrate the launch of simplyshakera.com. Thank you to our host @trayarts for welcoming us to your art studio and leading a carnival filled paint night. This is was such an emotional day for me. I was proud, relieved, excited, and anxious, all at the same time.

Booking 3 National TV Commercials: 

Guys this was huge accomplishment for me because I stopped doing the audition life years ago. God had a different plan for 2019. Grateful to be featured in commercials for Autotrader, Uber Eats/Toronto Raptors, and Spectrum Business

Feature on Real Housewives of Atlanta

YA’LL!!! What a way to close off a decade and highlight 10+ years of work!! The #RHOA were in Toronto for carnival this summer and Bravo TV reached out to me to share some tips with the ladies. Over 1.985 million people tuned in on December 29th, 2019 as I spiced up their TVs. This was the highest rating for the season thus far. I am big fan of the show, and a proud torontonian and carnivalian. It still hasn’t sunk in. Before the season is up I’ll do a recap on how it all went down. 

Carnival Spice

Seven years I had an idea to start a company that brought all my passions (dance, fitness, culture, community) together. Carnival Spice was born and has grown into such a beautiful platform that showcases Caribbean carnival arts and aspiring performers. My 2019 team though was so lit. It’s been a pleasure supporting their growth as artists and watching them navigate life while pursuing their passion in dance. We had a blast in 2019. From concept videos, to booking national interviews, and securing corporate clients like PWC, Soho House, and the Aga Khan Museum… we even took home the ByBlacks People’s Choice Award for Best Dance group. 

My Natural Journey

In 2017 I noticed a decline in my health, in 2018 I learned why so in 2019 I had to do something about it. A shift in my lifestyle was needed. I made small changes, substituted products, implemented supplements and cut out inflamers! Specifically dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and the biggest one - relaxer which resulted in on the most dramatic hairstyles I’ve ever done in my life. I cut my hair! I can admit that the cut wasn’t planned. I knew I’d eventually have to do it but didn’t expect it to be so soon. I honestly ran out of hairstyles by the end of the year. The look I have had since I was about 12yo was long straight hair. With the amount of styles I had in 2019, I could have easily done the DMX challenge but by Dec. 29th my scalp and edges were TIRED! lol. I will say though, the cut was quite liberating. I look forward to these curls growing and glowing. 

Fam, I am looking for a longerwear nail color alternative to shellac nail polish; cause chileee, I cringe every time I put my hand under that UV light  - suggestions? To my naturalistas, any tips for me?

I left 2019 feeling empowered, grateful and excited for what’s next. Thank you for all your support. 

2020 is here! A year I expect to be full of love and fruition. I encourage you to dream big, set intentions and do the work. Let’s make it the best year yet!

YOU READY?!

Caribana Recap 2019

Caribana Recap

2019

Toronto Carnival Season 2019 was one to remember.

The #SpiceFam was alllllll ova! We hosted a few pop up dance workshops, performed at a few private events, and had tv spots on

both Breakfast Television (view here) and CP24 (view here).

Met Preedy, Kerwin Dubois, and Jillionaire, saw Blaxx, Tallpree and Shal Marshal perform live, won section of the year at Friday Night Mas, and hit the carnival road with the Carnival Spice ladies. Twas a time!

What I loved most:

• THE STAGE!!! For the first time ever, Toronto Carnival featured an elevated stage. If you followed my blog over the years, you’ll know that I’ve BEEN suggesting this! I didn’t get to see the stage in person, but based on photos and video floating around the net it looked awesome!

• Meeting the Real Housewives of Atlanta was pretty cool too. In addition to being a huge fan of the show, I’m so happy I could share my culture with them! ...Gahhh! That’s all I can say for now.

• The King and Queen competition had a great vibe this year. Speeches were LONG, but kudos to MC SKF for keeping the crowd’s energy up. I personally enjoyed the performance by Lil Natty & Thunda but the audience was tough. Lol. Twas clearly a trini crowd. Congratulations to all the winners. My favourite was this year’s queen from Toronto Revellers! Her costumed radiated the moment the lights hit it on the stage.

• Big up Cantu Beauty for giving away full sized products from their hair care line on the road!!! They had a tent set up and offered hair tips, products, and more.

Least favourite moments:

• The same day I was on Breakfast Television dozens of people forwarded me a CBC article where my photo was used to promote a campaign that I had no affiliation with. I suspect a band who I modelled previously for submitted the photo without my knowledge. This is SUPER frustrating considering they could and SHOULD have used photos from their 2019 season! Plus I personally don’t support the campaign in relation to carnival. Apparently topless masqueraders were to appear at the parade this year - cool, do your thing but leave me out of it. I advocate for cultural arts and the history of mas… which in my opinion doesn’t correlate with being nude.

• Although I commend Shea Moisture Canada for hosting a fun filled & educational event surrounding black women and black hair, I’m quite disappointed that the featured Caribbean Carnival models/dancers they used didn’t reflect their audience! In my opinion, if you are hosting a Caribbean Carnival event hiring samba performers as the entertainment is a miss. An even bigger bonus would have been if they used black models. They had photo booth activations at some of the costume launches earlier in the year - why not hire one of the models from the show??? There were so many models/dancers to choose from… And nooo, I’m not salty that Carnival Spice wasn’t called - lololol. I’m simply mentioning this so they can do better next time around.

• Lack of attractions along the parade route was a big miss by the festival organizers. I understand that the Grand Parade is suppose to have masqueraders and spectators - HOWEVER, sadly the mentality in Toronto is that Caribana is a street party and the issue of “storming” exists year after year. I feel like if their were more attractions along the route it would redirect people out of the parade. I commend initiatives like the Winedown Festival and Island Mix for hosting limes along the sidelines; those events visibly made an impact on the amount of congestion on the route.

Now that we finally have a stage I may consider playing mas again in Toronto… I would only be open to partnering with a section leader or band who is trying to push the culture forward and respects their masqueraders. When I play, I roll DEEP; so I’m especially mindful that everyone who plays with me has a great time.

It has been heartbreaking seeing all the recent press regarding poor masquerader experiences! Negative media attention doesn’t just affect the band in fire it effects the entire festival and carnival community.

Let’s all vow to do better.

SO HOW ABOUT YOU - HOW WAS YOUR TORONTO CARNIVAL 2019 EXPERIENCE?

Did you play mas? How’d you like your costume? The band? The new route?

Did you just fete? What was your fave party?

Did you escape and go to the cottage?

Let me know in the comments?

Introducing Carnival Spice 2019

Introducing

Carnival Spice 2019

When most hear my name they cannot help but think of Caribbean Carnival. WHY? Well, aside from me being a proud Jamaican Canadian, in 2013 I founded CARNIVAL SPICE fitness, entertainment, and community. The company was launched with an intention to bring movement to beautiful mas costumes through dance performances and costume showcases. I am forever grateful for how much it has grown! Many artists of color have come through our doors and blossomed into beaming talent. Our fitness clients continue dance, sweat, connect, and transform to the Caribbean vibes. Plus we’ve touched a variety of stages from television, to weddings, to festivals and more. 

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Allow me to introduce you to the 2019 team members:

MOHOGANY

TORI

CHARLENE

JESSICA

SULAIRE

ALANA

KAFI

ALYSEHIA

LAURA

JESS

ASHLEIGH

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To learn more about the company or to add some spice to your special event visit www.carnivalspice.com

You may have seen Carnival Spice in action with:

City TV

CTV

MuchMusic

Alison HInds

Toronto Star

G987 FM Radio

Jambana One World Festival

Grace Kennedy Foods

Ryerson University

Breakfast Television.

Jamaal Magloire’s Toronto Revellers

Saldenah Mas K Club

and more.

Follow Carnival Spice On Social Media:

Twitter

https://twitter.com/CarnivalSpice

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/user/CarnivalSpice

LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carnivalspiceandeverythingnice

Instagram

http://instagram.com/carnivalspice

2018 In Review

2018 In Review

Let us reflect on the lessons and celebrate the wins.

For many, 2018 was tough! I received so many messages from folks who were ready to leave it behind. To a degree, I understand! There even came a point when I stopped watching the news.  For me however, 2018 was the most transformational year of my life thus far. At the start of each year I select one word to help guide my intentions for the next 364 days. For 2018 I was on a quest for PEACE.

2018 answered the call immediately! Things kicked off with continued celebrations for my 30th birthday, preparations for my company’s fifth anniversary, and boom, in walks one of the greatest men I’ve ever met. Joy to the world! The future I envisioned was changing and this required a new action plan. So where do I start?

To maintain peace in my eyes meant to work smarter not harder. I’m accustomed to completing a million tasks a day, jumping here, typing there, driving to the next class, or the next gig. But nah, not for 2018. I wasn’t eager to jump in to my normal work routine. I was intentional about slowing down to figure out next steps. Better steps. Smarter steps. Definitely needed to lean on my faith for direction! The moment I did that, everything changed. God revealed so much I needed to know and the world as I knew it flipped upside down. Was the experience bad? Nope! Painful? Sometimes. Uncomfortable? VERY! ...but here I am today on the other side of healing with so much gratitude, strength,and lessons. Instead of focusing on the discomforts and hardships of 2018, let us remember the year we lived, learned and LEVELED up… with or without Ciara’s dance.

Speaking of Ciara she made a comeback and added to the Black Girl Magic and Black Boy Joy that flooded 2018. I still get chills when I reflect on Beyonce’s Coachella performance and the fact that Michelle Obama wrote the #1 selling book of 2018 with BECOMING! My sister Siobhan Bent became an author too and co-wrote the book 13 Steps!! Jada, Willow, & Gam opened up our hearts with the Red Table Talk. Meghan Markle and her mom sprinkled melanin all over Buckingham palace...

We could not stop dancing in 2018. Ding Dong and the ravers crew made Dancehall NICE again! Mi nuh tiyad YET fi fling, genna bounce, and lebeh lebeh. @iamzoie had EVERYONE twerking on Fridays… Aliya Janell went on tour, and both lucian & vincy music dominated the soca airwaves and carnival waistlines...

and last but not least, we cannot discuss 2018 without the historical, box office breaking, Michael B Jordon shining, vibranium oozing, BLACK PANTHER!!!!

Some of my personal favourite moments in 2018 were:

The Surprise Party my family through for me TWO weeks after my birthday!

I am still shooketh and can’t believe they pulled it off! Look at my cake ya’ll!

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My Babies SMASHING their waltz on Breakfast Television and at their annual gala!

I am the dance program coordinator for the Trust 15 organization. They provide youth in the Rexdale/North Etobicoke area with programs that promote and facilitate positive behaviour, creative expression, and cooperative working skills. Love my babies!!! The team was challenged with the task of learning the waltz for the annual gala. Not only did they SMASH the appearance we did together on Breakfast Television (Watch HERE) but they DELIVERED on show day and brought me to tears! That evening we all elevated together.

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Aug. 3rd: The day went in this order Spice interview on CP24 --> Spice appearance for Tweed, Shakera and friends attend Friday Night Mas night parade at Ontario Place → 4 hours sleep → Caribana 2018 at the Exhibition.

I can’t put this day into words. The Carnival Spice calendar was full and so was my heart! The team and I worked, filmed live interviews, and played mas twice! I’m still sore… but oh the memories

Power of Success Conference where I met THE Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins knows my name all! This is probably THE WORST picture of me but I don’t care. This day shifted me at my core.

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Having been in the carnival scene for over 10 years, I’ve seen and experienced so many memories and great lessons. However, on December 29th, 2019 I announced that I will no longer be taking any carnival entertainment bookings or teaching any Carnival Spice drop in classes.  Watch the full video to LEARN WHY HERE)

Although a tough decision, it’s also very freeing! I embrace all the new opportunities flowing my way and will continue my work in developing aspiring artists of color and on a professional platform where their spirits, beauty, and talent can shine. But best believe if Machel or Bunji calls and says they need me in Trinidad to perform, I WILL BE THERE - FEATHERS IN HAND!

Culture is so important to me, and Carnival Spice allowed me to express that. We celebrated Carnival Spice’s 5th birthday, website relaunch, and first company audition in 2018. Even had a repost from Kes the Band for my choreography to their smash single HELLO (Watch Here - it’s at 15, 000 views! ). When I founded the company, I had no idea that it would be what it is today. From festivals, to birthdays, to weddings, the SPICE could be found all over the GTA and your social media timelines. The connections that have blossomed among the #SpiceFam members is also a major highlight; I can’t express how heartwarming it is to see my clients and team members bond both in and outside of class. I look forward to what’s next for the Carnival Spice community.

SENDING YOU LOVE & LIGHT! LET US USE THE TOOLS WE LEARNED LAST YEAR TO MAKE 2019 THE BEST YEAR YET!

Xoxo & Wakanda Forever,

Shakera