By Sonia Morris

JEFFREY DANIEL

When you think of the Backslide Dance or the Moonwalk (renamed by Michael Jackson), or Soul Train Dancer or even the song Make that Move by Shalamar, what comes to your mind? It could either be Jeffrey Daniel, Jody Watley or Howard Hewett. Well, I had an opportunity to meet up with one of the members of the Shalamar Trio, Mr Jeffrey Daniel. My interview with Mr Daniel about Why I Love What I Do, created such a great conversation, instead of an interview and I must say this man is having great fun with his life even now. I found him in Nigeria, settled and established and is a great source of contribution to the society at large. Watching some of his recent videos shows, he hasn’t lost his touch and can still make anyone get up to dance to the song “Make that Move Right Now Baby”. So, sit back and read what makes Mr Jeffrey Daniel the man he is today and why after years of great success, he still loves doing what he does.

WEW: Growing up as a young man, what made you steer towards dancing?

JD: What started me dancing was my immediate environment, my mother and my two older sisters, because that’s what we did at home. My sisters were very good dancers as well. In fact, my oldest sister (Janice) was the Yell Queen cheerleader in high school and she was very good, but my middle sister (Joyce) we were a lot closer, she and I would win all the dance competition in Jr high school. No one could beat us. Once we won a dance contest, the whole school was there and we competed against other people and we won, then they put on a victory song for us to dance to and it was a slow record and I’m like “huh”! This is my sister, I can’t slow dance with her. They didn’t know we were brother and sister (laughs). My sister Joyce was my first dance partner, before I started dancing with Jody Watley. I also danced with my sister on Soul Train for a little while.

WEW: Were those dances ever caught on Soul Train

JD: Of course, it must have been, but I don’t think we were on the radar back then, because I was just coming on the show, so I wouldn’t know if I was getting that notoriety yet, but then later as I started becoming more and more prevalent on the show I became more of a prominent dancer and then I took over (joke, laughs) No, I didn’t. I started dancing with Jody Watley because a couple times a good record would come on and I would look for Joyce, but she was off messing around and so I started dancing with Jody Watley.