Teen dancers score viral hit on TikTok

Sixteen-year-old Rianna Simms and her 14-year-old friend, Nassia Rodgers, who both hail from the Payne Land community of St Andrew South, have captured the attention of their peers and TikTok users with the viral dance routine for the single The Breakdown 2, by Benzly Hype.

The Haile Selassie High School students may have different interests - Rianna loves to comb hair, while Nassia plays sport - but they have found common ground in that they are both good at dancing.

Rianna admitted, "Sometimes we dance every day, just fi enjoy wi self, 'cause we don't have any friends."

While Rianna originally considered herself more adept at hairdressing, the experience of creating dance routines has fuelled her passion for the art form.

The genesis of their viral routine unfolded spontaneously. Nassia recounted the moment of inspiration.

"A bank we a come from and we hear di music, so wi seh, 'No man, da music yah sound good.' So wi hand go off and we start do it," she said, demonstrating the hand movements with a radiant smile.

Although those initial attempts fell short of what they wanted the dance to be, the determined duo refined their routine at home and shared it on TikTok. Rianna said they have gained recognition from the dance, but some persons have a misconception about their 'success'.

"Dem always a seh mi a big dancer and dem haffi put respect pon mi name. Every walk mi walk [people say], 'Yuh nah get pay fi yuh dance? Gimme summ out a it nuh,'" Rianna said.

Eager to harness the potential of TikTok, the aspiring dancers are intent on navigating the platform to showcase their skills and explore opportunities. With plans to create more routines, the duo teased a dance routine for Sgee Vehnom's Wonderland, expressing hope for collaboration with the artiste.

As these young breakout dancers continue to make waves, their journey unfolds with promise and enthusiasm for the dance world and to have a balance with their schoolwork.