Welcome To Divinelove Udorji's Blog. : The Elevatorz Rise To Stardom; Intriguing Secrets You Never Knew About The Dancers

When it comes to the Nigerian dance scene, the Elevatorz Dancers need no introduction. In D.U.Blog's interview with Kelvin the winner of Dance-With-Peter Competition and the Elevatorz Dancing crew (Samson, Micheal, Godrick, Green and Moses) who are all students of Nasarawa State University, lots of secrets, love life, craziest moments, relationship status, most embarrassing and most memorable performances were EXPOSED!!

Perhaps what many do not know are the bold steps they took as a group to get to the enviable position they now occupy; as well as their exploits in the Nigerian dance industry, from their mind blowing performances in Nigeria's Got Talent Show, to their super adorable performances in Dance-With-Peter Competition of which one of them (Kelvin) won, down to their remarkable performances in Korea and other numerous performances in and outside Nigeria. In this interview the qualities that has played a huge role in what they have become today were shared. They also shared ways that other upcoming dancers can learn from them and also excel. Read on.

Tell us about yourself, something that we don't know?

Samson: My name is Samson popularly know as Captain Zee, aside dancing am a sport person, I sing opera and am an actor.

Michael: My name is Michael, am a dancer, an opera singer, an actor, a runway and commercial model.

Kelvin: My name is Kelvin aka Kelz am a dancer and an RnB singer.

Godrick: My name is Godrick, am a dancer and a model.

Green: Am a dancer, a model and basketball player.

Moses: Am dancer, a vocalist and an actor.

When did dancing begin for you; at what age did you realize that dancing was a passion for you??

Green: (laughs) the truth is, there was a time in my life when I knew nothing about dance. Dancing for me starting ten to twelve years ago.

Moses: Dancing for me starting right from childhood, but professionally I started dancing five years ago...

Samson: Actually dancing was in me since I was born but I started dancing professionally in 2004.

Godrick: (hmmm!!!) Well I have been dancing for over 16 years now.

Kelvin: Professionally I started dancing four years ago. Dancing for me has been inborn.

Michael: Have been dancing since childhood, but I started taking dance seriously in 2004.

How did the group ''Elevatorz'' begin?

Samson: The group Elevatorz began as far back as in secondary school but it wasn't professional. Then we just friends and not really a dance group and there was this dance competition coming up and we just gathered ourselves together and went. Basically that was how the group ''Elevatorz'' all began.

How did you guys come about the name ''Elevatorz''?

Samson: Formerly the group's name wasn't Elevatorz, then we were called Lut Saint Crew. But after our graduation from secondary school we were having a cultural rehearsal, then it was myself, Michael and Hussein and we thought about getting a new name and to drop the name "Lut Saint Crew" and we all thought about getting something unique and special that was when the name Elevatorz came up. Most importantly the need to have a name change began when we started having new members in group, so we wanted a balance.

Michael: (Cuts-in) We thought of several names, we scouted, prayed and fasted (laughs!!)... Just kidding. The name just came and frankly speaking considering how energetic our dance moves can be and how we have been moving from phases to phases the name has been working positive for us.

Who brings the ideas behind the dance moves?

Michael: Everybody does. Everybody is a genus in this crew. Basically every time we just play over everything, there is never a time when we sit and crack our head over any dance move. As time goes on it keeps getting better, as we get to know ourselves better. The bond amongst ourselves helps us get things easily done. The ideas just comes from one of our discussions and one of our playful moments.

Samson: Truly we don't take it too serious that's why the dance moves come. Its something that's in everyone of us, its something we just bring out freely, so we don't take it too serious.

Tell us a few challenges you over came to get to where you are today?

Kelvin: My first challenge as a dancer is family and then school. You know in this country now it is very difficult for you to see someone taking dance as a profession and you get this feeling of not been wanted in the society and you battling with school, juggling between studies and rehearsals, so its not really easy to balance. I had to make my family believe that dancing isn't a bad career choice as the society portrays it and I also had to create time for my studies also.

Godrick: Just like Kelvin has said, the most pressing challenges I had to over come was family and combining academics with dancing. You can't just wake up one morning and tell your father you want to become a dancer, so I had to make them believe in me.

Green: We have all faced almost the same challenges.

Moses: Almost everyone sees dancers as wayward people which is really not true.

As a dance what's your most embarrassing moment?

Moses: I really don't have any...

Michael: (Laughs!!)... My most embarrassing moment as a dancer was when I did a back-flip on stage and landed on my face! Though I had to cover up but till date I still have that scar on my head....

Green: I can still remember. That was when I did something entire different from what I was supposed to do on stage. Though the audience didn't notice but the crew knew about it and till date I still have that stigma (all laughs!!!).

Godrick: I don't have any

Kelvin: As a dancer have never really had an embarrassing moment.

Samson: It was on stage here in NSUK when my trouser got torn (Laughs!!) I thought nobody knew, but one of my friend in the audience saw it and screamed; "him trouser don tear oh!" and I had to immediately cover it. Gosh! It was not cool. The tear was really fast so I noticed the air that came in and I had to just close it and I just thank God it was towards the end of the dance.

Michael: Nah! I don't have any....

What about your most memorable performance?

Kelvin: Ah!! na Dance-With-Peter Competition na!!!

Samson: As a dancer have had lots of memorable moments but I would just give two; first was in Korea the kind of the audience we danced for and secondly the Abuja choreographers Ball, of which we won the best choreographers in Abuja....

Green: Our performance in Korea...

Michael: My most memorable performance was in Korea, cos that was the biggest audience have ever danced for.

Moses: So far our performance in Korea has been the most memorable performance for me.

What's the most craziest thing anyone amongst you has ever done?

Kelvin: Well crazy things happen amongst us everyday.

Green: Everybody here is crazy!!!.

Moses: The most craziest thing that has ever happened in this planet is having Samson, Kelvin, Michael, Godrick, Green and myself come together as Elevatorz cos we are weird, quiet and playful in our special way.

Samson: The most craziest person amongst us is actually Kelvin, he has been crazy since birth, one of the most craziest thing he has ever done was after a video shoot we were trying to mimic some guys from Korea and he had to spank my butts, I was like; ''what kind of a human being is this''? After warning him he had to do it again (all laughs!!)....

Is true that Elevatorz snub alot? There is this rumour that you guys get called up for some events and you don't turn up, how true is this assertion??

Michael: The truth is we don't snub, if you come close to us you would understand that we are very playful. We can play all day. Secondly bouncing or not turning up for an event, this should serve as a disclaimer to event organizers in Keffi especially, cos I don't see this happening in other places like Abuja, cos they respect your art alot over there. In Keffi people do not respect your art based on friendship or whatever relationship they think they have with you. Sometimes we just see our names on posters or suddenly we just hear from our friends and fans that we got called up for an event and we didn't show up. Sometimes we could be walking in the school premises and someone would just walk up to you and tell you; "whatsup, shea una go perform tomorrow abi"? And we would be like; ''tomorrow for wetin''?

At times we don't even know about this events. I was in Abuja sometime ago and someone called me and the person was like "so you guys are coming to Lafia right"? I was like how? For what na? And he said for an event, you guys are meant to perform and your name is on the poster. I met someone sometime ago in Keffi, she said she is a fan of the group and she has been following the group for over three years now and every event in Keffi that she sees our name on the poster she attends. She got married and made her husband fall in love with dance because of the crew and the husband goes with her to events in Keffi and environs, sometimes they don't get to see us in some of those event and what this organizers tell them is that we didn't agree to show up, most times they just lie to cover up. But the truth is that too many times we don't invited for this events, we just see our names on the posters.

Samson: With time we would begin to take legal actions for stuffs like this, some of this event organizers just go around tarnishing peoples image. Secondly we don't snub, if you want to come close to us then you are highly welcomed with open arms.

Does Elevators accept new members?

Samson: Elevatorz is not dance school though we teach people how to dance, if you want to learn we teach you. We are this bond that for now we don't accept new members, but we could teach you dance and make you the dancer you want to be.

Are you guys under any management?

Samson: We were under a management, but we lost our manager last year. We have proposed management offers but we are yet to pick one.

How much would it take to bring elevators to a show??

Michael: It depends on the environment and the occasion we are going to perform.

When are we expecting something new from elevators?

Samson: We just dropped two videos El Chappo and Cause Trouble while the third one would be released soon.

Where do you guys see yourself in the nearest future??

Moses: Some people actually mistake us to be dancers alone but aside dancing we have a lot of things planned out beyond dancing, so like in few years from now you guys would see what Elevatorz entails.

Green: I see us been far beyond measures.

Michael: In less than a year the group would not be the same crew you use to know, the status is definitely going to higher one.

Godrick: I see us been at the peak of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

Samson: In the nearest future I see us been more than where P-square are right now. We would be top of the game.

Kelvin: omo guy!! na blow oh!! We go blow!!

Tell us about your relationship status, who is the girl that rocks your heart?

Godrick: I have a girlfriend.

Michael: Am as single as a tree standing in the forest (laughs!!)

Green: Am single

Kelvin: nah!! Am not single, have got a girlfriend.

Moses: Am single...

Samson: Am not engaged, am not single and am not searching, am in a relationship.

Been that you guys are handsome and talented, How do you handle your female fans?

Green: Am a very playful person and I treat every woman with immense respect..

Moses: I hear different nasty stories everyday from ladies, I once heard am a father of four. The other time I heard I was impotent (all laughs!!!) all because I didn't want to have anything sexual to do with a lady, of recent I heard I was gay....

Michael: I am more free with the guys, not as if push the girls away but because I noticed ladies are quick to jumping into conclusions about ones personality. Like Moses said, one time some girls thought I was gay because I wasn't in a relationship then. Some of them just think its either he is lying or he is gay or some even say am a snub because I keep a straight face whenever am walking but I just take them as friends. The way they relate with me I relate with them too.

Moses: I want to put something straight, please we just want to pass a message across to so many girls in NSUK and beyond that think we are not gays. Most times after our rehearsals we just get into the bathroom and we shower, while we shower we still talk about our dance routines. One day a girl calmly sat down with her friends and after their discussions, she walked up to me and she was like; "Moses when bathing do you guys touch each other"?..

Michael: (cuts-in) Yeah!!!! I heard that gist too.

Moses: Please Elevatorz we are not gays please..

Kelvin: I hold my female fans in the highest regards, have got love for them. You don't get to comfy with them cos and you make your stands known to them.

Godrick: I love my female fans, I show them lots of love..

Samson: I don't play with fans, I love my fans so much especially my female fans. Definitely they would come, but you just have to curtail and know where to place them.

What advice do you have for upcoming dancers who aspire to be like you?

Moses: Firstly its not easy, at any point they are they should just push harder and lookout for a better tomorrow..

Samson: Don't just sit and wish for the future, work towards it and the sky would be your limits.

Godrick: They should learn to be self disciplined, work hard and put God first in everything they do.

Kelvin: Just keep believing in yourself and keep thriving to move forward. There is nothing sweeter or better than you achieving something and you look back at the stress you went through and its all worth it..

Green: My advice to them is to work hard and focus. They should be determined.

Michael: One thing they must realize is that there is nothing like luck. Luck is consistency in what you love cos that is what is going to give you that thing you want or you desire. Some people just think na your luck, No! Elevatorz you see today did not just start today. Competition you see us winning today didn't just begin today, there are times we had failed but we kept learning from our mistake and striving forward. Consistency and love for what we do has brought us to where we are today and prayers.